cat's cradle
by rumiberri
Summary: AU. They say a cat has nine lives, but for Homura, it feels like she's lived nine too many. Maybe this time she'll finally get everything right and save Madoka. The only problem though, like always, is getting there. [Slow build up] [eventual MadokaxHomura?] [Don'tworrytheothercharactersareinheretoo] [AU-wait did I mention that already][Meow.][No Rebellion][Drama?]
1. restart, redo, re-cycle

**Author's Note:** Just testing the waters. That being said, prepare for OOC (though I try not to vary too much) and drama and angst and comfort and the power of friendship and love and peace (the last one.. maybe.) It's going to be a story mainly focused on Homura, with a build up to Madoka x Homura, and the other three are thrown in there and other supporting characters scattered around. OCs will be little, if any, and descriptions will be lacking and you will cry at my overuse of semicolons, ()'s and dashes. I haven't seen the movies, so it's definitely pre-Rebellion and definitely AU. It's a different take on the original storyline from the anime, so remember that. Annd... my characterizations are mostly from me taking what I know about the anime, and then from all those japanese comics that are out there about the PMMM cast and mixing and meshing them until I have what you see here.

There's also no guarantee I'll finish this, so at least I hope someone enjoys it somewhere.

/

* * *

\\\

**E**yes open and suddenly she finds herself staring at a familiar ceiling; an always familiar ceiling. Instead of the usual feelings of self-hatred and despair one feels after another failure, she merely closes her eyes and sighs out slowly.

The previous timeline—compared to the many others she had cycled through—had been... different.

It had also been the closest she had ever been at fulfilling her original wish, but she wasn't sure if she would have been glad if they had won.

It would've been interesting, at least, but it had been pretty embarrassing and she shakes her head to free her thoughts before she reopens her eyes and sits up.

No use dwelling on it now.

If she takes into account of what usually happens after a reset, things should be relatively back to normal once more and everything will just be a memory that only she knew existed.

She nods to herself, strengthening her resolve before she throws the hospital issued covers off and steps onto the cold metal floor.

Another chance.

Another month.

Another lifetime.

With her soul gem grasped securely in her hands and her red framed glasses slipped into place, she crosses the floor and stops when she finds herself in front of the sole mirror in the room.

Her reflection that stares back at her is the same as always (except it isn't). She sees the usual pale, thin (weak, useless) girl that she used to be, once upon a time. Long, dark black hair tied in two split braids down the middle and the dark lavender eyes that she had inherited from her mother (that have long since turned cold after seeing too much happen in too many timelines).

She holds up her hand, concentrating on the magic contained within the purple jewel and focuses on healing her eyes. To her surprise, she feels something twitch on top of her head and stares in shock as her reflection confirms her fears. She sighs and merely concentrates harder since her healing magic is weaker in this timeline due to her...additional traits.

Maybe, this had happened because she had been so _close_ in the previous timeline and somewhere out there, someone was cheering for her and they wanted her to win. Scoffing at that thought, the black cat ears that appeared atop Homura's head merely flickers in annoyance and the tail that's hidden within her pajamas tugs at the fabric that hinders its movement.

Just—great.

Another timeline—that might become a permanent timeline—where she's stuck with magical powers that are linked to animal traits.

Embarassing.

Utterly embarassing.

\\\


	2. the beginning of the rest of our lives

**A**s Homura walks slowly towards Mitakihara Middle School, she lets her feet take her down the familiar route as her thoughts run through the plans that she had decided during the days she had before school started.

Due to the events in the previous cycle, she had decided that she would treat this timeline as if it would be _the one_.

That is, she would try and make this timeline continue as perfectly as possible (within reason) which consisted of making sure Charlotte didn't eat Mami, that Sayaka didn't turn into a witch or drag Kyouko with her and most importantly, that they killed Walpurgisnacht without Madoka making a contract.

Easy and simple.

Simple and easy.

If Homura's ears and tail were visible (which they aren't because she has more experience hiding them, at least _now_) they would've been twitching and giving away the nervousness the girl feels as she thinks to what she has to do to make everything work. Instead, all anyone can see is her passive face as she continues on her way to where this timeline will finally really begin. Though she wants to deny it, she feels a spark of hope ignite from deep within and her lips almost tug upwards as her mind grasps onto the fact that the impossible is maybe coming to an end.

This timeline being _the one_ means that Homura will try and gain the trust of everyone instead of antagonizing the people who always (always!) ruin her plans. It also means no weird glares thrown to Madoka and no strange speeches meant to scare her into submission.

She is polite to her peers yet remains mysterious and aloof and makes sure not to stand out much during P.E; she doesn't want her ears suddenly popping up and being labeled as a 'weirdo cosplayer' like what had happened before...

During break, Madoka escorts her to the nurse's office and they exchange a polite conversation because there is no way Homura will not have the defining moment from their (first) friendship not occur. Homura doesn't lead the way, she doesn't tell Madoka to stay the same and she manages to get Madoka to call her by her first name.

A success.

Madoka seems shy and quiet around her but she doesn't mind that; if things go as planned then she will finally have all the time in the world to become close friends with Madoka once more.

/

Though the cycles and timelines and events repeated, things always varied and things were never exactly the same. Whether it meant witches spawning a few days early or late, or new witches appearing where previously there had been none, Homura has seen it all.

The one timeline when Mami had been a brunette had thrown her off for a bit but that was a story for another day...

So as she follows Madoka and Miki Sayaka as they exit the music shop, she isn't at all surprised when after a while, her cat ears and tail suddenly appear as she feels the static that signals a witch's barrier is nearby.

She is glad that she has stayed hidden in the shadows because she's sure to garner attention due to her ears and tail. Instead, she presses herself further into the darkness but shortens the gap between her and the two girls that are unconsciously lured closer and closer to the barrier.

Unwilling to let herself be discovered—at least not until the last possible moment, Homura remains untransformed even as the barrier washes over them and traps them inside.

She hears and watches as Madoka screams, as Sayaka yells and suddenly little mustached familiars spring up and surround them.

Usually they'd be in one of the hidden basements in the mall or maybe a nearby empty parking structure when a witch shows up, but Homura always knows that Mami will come in and save the two; it always happens no matter where or what kind of witch appears. Homura has reason to assume it's because Kyuubey always leads her straight to them.

Just as Madoka stumbles and Homura feels she can delay it no longer, the sound of a familiar rifle shot echoes through the area and the familiar that had been advancing towards the fallen girl disappears in a flash of light.

Enter Tomoe Mami.

Homura sighs in relief and keeps herself hidden as the golden magical girl says some encouraging words before putting on a flashy show for the two girls who could maybe become her potential teammates.

"Tiro! FINALE!"

A huge canon—because something that size could not still be called a mere gun—shoots through the witch, destroying it and Homura hears the tink as the grief seed falls onto the concrete floor.

As the barrier fades and the colours of the real world return, Homura quickly wills her ears and tail away and turns back in time to face the others as Tomoe Mami throws the grief seed her way.

"This is what you wanted, right?"

"Homu...ra-chan?" Madoka looks at the girl who was revealed once the barrier disappeared. "W-were you trapped too?"

Homura doesn't answer and merely steps closer to the trio. Sayaka immediately moves closer to Madoka, as if protecting her, while Mami watches the dark-haired girl with shaded eyes. Homura watches her as well, taking note that Tomoe Mami has no animal ears. Has no tail.

Silently, Homura curses her luck.

A half animal Mami was easy to deal with; a human Mami...not so much.

Knowing that she still has to respond, Homura pauses, before giving a subtle nod to Mami in thanks and pockets the grief seed. Mami immediately smiles, disperses her transformation in a flash of light and turns to the other two.

"My name is Tomoe Mami and I'm a magical girl."

/

The familiarity of Mami's apartment never really fades with Homura, even when she spends cycles avoiding the blonde girl like the plague.

She remembers the first time she stepped foot inside and every other time after that. She takes note that in this timeline, the bookshelf in the living room has swapped places with the small table lined with house plants. Those, if Homura bothered to check (which she sometimes did for 'fun') always changed with every new restart.

Mami gestures to the low triangular shaped glass table in the middle of the room, telling everyone to have a seat while she goes to the kitchen to grab refreshments for her guests. Madoka offers to help, following after her and Homura settles in her usual spot at the table (where she can sit while facing the door). Sayaka watches her, still suspicious of the girl merely because she feels that Homura can't be trusted somehow, and takes a seat across from her so that she can watch her.

They can hear Madoka and Mami chatting idly as they grab various dishware and Sayaka and Homura sit in silence as they wait for the two to return. Homura looks at ease despite the tense atmosphere while Sayaka taps her fingers on the glass table in slight agitation though she has no idea why she feels that way.

"So...transfer student."

Homura's not surprised when the tomboy breaks the quiet.

"You're a magical girl like Mami-san, right?"

Knowing she had resolved to try and make this _the one,_ Homura humors Miki Sayaka's attempts at small talk.

"Yes," and she flicks her hair behind her; it's a bad habit that she picked up sometime ago that she's still trying to break.

At her reply, Sayaka frowns. "So, why didn't you step in to help Mami-san then?"

Here, Homura knows she has to tread carefully. Mami had most likely noticed Homura as soon as she had arrived; magical signatures stood out like a sore thumb after all. While Homura could lie, and say that she had arrived too late to lend a hand, Mami can easily refute that, which will only serve to put a black mark towards Homura's (in this timeline at least) still blank reputation.

So, she would have to appeal to them somehow through another lie.

Homura's mouth opens to reply but Madoka and Mami's entrance into the living room interrupts her answer.

"I hope Earl Grey is to everyone's liking?" Mami smiles as she sets her tray with teacups and a teapot onto the middle of the table. Madoka follows after her and places the tray with plates of cakes down as well.

Homura glances at the trays and then back to Mami. Normally, she would accept whatever was placed in front of her without complaint as tea did in fact pair well with any sweet dessert. This timeline, however, Homura is a bit different and something else seems more delicious than the bitter liquid that is being steeped into perfection.

Licking her lips nervously, Homura decides to take the plunge.

"...would it be alright if I had a cup of milk instead?"

Mami blinks before giving Homura a smile. "Of course, Akemi-san! I'll bring a cup right away."

The other three watch as Mami hurries into the kitchen to fulfill Homura's request before Sayaka suddenly snickers and Homura looks at her almost warily.

"Milk?" Sayaka asks as she laughs harder.

"...Is there something funny about drinking milk, Miki-san?" Though her voice and face remain passive, Homura is less than amused and Madoka somehow knows and tries to calm Sayaka down.

"Sayaka-chan!" she scolds her though she herself thinks it's cute how the mysterious and cool transfer student prefers _milk_ to tea.

"W-what are you? An elementary school kid?" Sayaka manages to choke out as she grins at Homura. "Is tea too bitter for the little transfer student?"

"S-Sayaka-chan!" Madoka tries to calm her down again and gives Homura an apologetic smile. "I still add in a bunch of cream and sugar to my tea too," she tells her instead. "Guess I'm still like a kid as well."

Homura blinks but a cup of milk is suddenly placed in front of her and she has to force her cat ears from popping out in excitement.

"Here you go, Akemi-san. I'll be happy to get you some more later," Mami tells her before she takes a seat by the last unoccupied area of the table.

"...Thank you," Homura murmurs and tunes the others out as she takes a sip of her milk.

Ah, bliss.

Cake, cups, forks and knives are passed around and as everyone is finally settled in, Mami decides that they should continue their discussion about witches, magical girls, wishes and signed contracts.

Most of the conversation is of course handled by Mami with occasional comments here and there from Kyuubey, who had materialized in after the cakes had been served. Homura decides to refrain from adding her input and instead lies and tells them that she hasn't been a magical girl that long (her inexperience being why she didn't step in to help the blonde earlier) and merely drinks her milk as Sayaka and Madoka ask Mami and Kyuubey about the road to becoming a 'hero.'

Mami (who always suffers from loneliness) wants the two to of course sign a contract and join her on her quest to save the world from Witches. She does however, at least warn them it is a dangerous job and that the two should get a feel for fighting witches before making a decision. Homura keeps herself from yelling at Mami and shooting Kyuubey by keeping her mouth filled with milk.

Though annoyed at the blonde for always (always!) wanting to involve Madoka in the shady business of being a magical girl, her annoyance is appeased when Mami offers her another cup of milk when she notices Homura is almost finished with her drink.

By the time the meeting is over and they're parting ways, Homura can feel the milk inside her stomach sloshing around with every movement and Sayaka is left wondering if the transfer student has some kind of weird unhealthy obsession with the liqui**d.**


	3. the cat's outta the bag

**N**ext day.

School.

Lunch.

Homura wasn't always a fan of lunch time. During her original timeline, before meeting Madoka, it had always meant hiding out in the nurse's office (when she was allowed to go to school) or eating a bland, lonely meal in the hospital by herself.

She is long over those feelings now though and considers it just one of those normal things she has to do. Normal things like waking up and going to school and finishing up homework so that she can keep herself from spiraling into the insanity that she is always on the brink of disappearing into.

Though she doesn't have a homemade bentou or even a store bought bentou, a quick trip to the vending machines will provide her with all she'll need. She also doesn't want to bother with the cafeteria since it's full of noisy _people_ and is content with the quickest and least painful option.

As she stands to go buy her lunch, a familiar voice catches her attention and she glances up as Madoka is suddenly there, standing in front of her desk.

"Homura-chan! Let's eat lunch together!" Whatever had happened yesterday had broken the ice between them and Homura is suddenly reminded of _her _Madoka (_every_, Madoka).

"Ah." Shaking herself from her stupor, Homura pauses and then nods slowly. "Sure, Madoka...You're going to eat on the roof, right?"

Madoka tilts her head in wonder. "E-eh? How did you know?"

A quick glance away and then back. "It seems like a popular place to eat..."

"Aah—"

"Madoka! Hurry up! We're leaving without you!"

Sayaka's voice carries across the room and they both turn to see the tomboy and another girl, Shizuki Hitomi, looking expectantly at the only two remaining students in the room. Classes always did clear fast for lunch.

"Ahh! Wait up, Sayaka-chan!" Madoka looks flustered and quickly faces Homura again since she has yet to answer.

"You can go first," Homura nods in confirmation. "I'll meet you there."

Madoka looks disappointed but brightens when she realizes that Homura has accepted her invitation and smiles. "Okay! Don't take too long!" she says before she gives Homura a parting wave as she hurries across the room to reach Sayaka and Hitomi.

Sayaka gives Homura a glance and then she pushes the other two out the door and Homura is now the last one in the room.

"Ah..." she sighs out before she flicks her hair behind her.

\\

It takes her longer than expected as she goes around the school grounds searching for that one vending machine that has that flavor of milk she likes (_strawberry_, Madoka's favourite). For some reason, just like Mami's house plants, the contents in the vending machines never stayed the same and since she had missed lunch yesterday (due to staying in the nurse's office), fifteen minutes has passed before she finds herself taking the stairs that lead to the roof.

Squinting her eyes once the darker stairway opens into the brightness of the clear skies, Homura glances around, looking for that familiar shade of pink that always makes her heart skip a beat (in a good way). She isn't surprised to see the smaller girl noticing her arrival and quickly waving her over.

Homura easily clears the distance between them and Madoka smiles at her.

"Homura-chan! I thought you weren't going to show up! Or that you got lost!"

"Sure took your time, eh transfer student?" Sayaka comments with a mouth full of rice.

Hitomi merely gives her a polite nod in greeting and continues to eat her bentou.

Madoka pats the empty seat next to her but blinks when she notices that Homura has two blocks of Calorie Mate and two milk boxes in her hands.

"Uhm, Homura-chan?"

With grace that rivals Hitomi's own, Homura brushes her skirt under her as she takes a seat before turning to Madoka.

"...?"

"I-is that your lunch?"

Blink. "Yes," Homura nods, not at all denying her simple meal. She takes in Madoka's worried look and shakes her head. "It's alright, Madoka. There's enough calories sufficient to cover more than one meal." Her words are meant to reassure but the frown on Madoka's face doesn't disappear and instead she can suddenly feel Sayaka's stare on her as well as Hitomi's less intense gaze.

"Uh oh," Sayaka mutters in between bites and Hitomi merely gives a soft sigh.

They both know how serious Madoka takes her job as the nurse's office assistant and they're not disappointed when the usual kind and timid girl does a 180°.

"That's not good, Homura-chan!" Madoka scolds her after she recovers from her shock. "Right now we're at the age where it's super important to maintain a healthy diet—" she pauses because she knows Sayaka's going mention something about their less than healthy eating habits after school— "somewhat," she says directly to Sayaka before turning back to Homura, "which means at least eating three square meals a day with real food, not..." she gestures to the milk box that Homura is now drinking, "empty calories!"

Taking another sip, Homura glances away from Madoka as the girl's speech takes her away to another time when another Madoka had given the still glasses wearing Homura a similar sounding speech. She can't help but have those same feelings of guilt—like she was disappointing Madoka somehow (like always!) and doesn't know (remember) how to rectify the situation. In the previous timeline she hadn't joined them for lunch until later in the week where Mami was already offering to make an extra bentou for her since she was already making one for Kyouko.

And the timelines before that—Homura had been avoiding Madoka as she took a break to recover from one of the worse cycles she had had so far.

She swallows nervously and removes the straw from her lips. "I apologize, Madoka. I—will bring a proper lunch tomorrow...?"

There's something so awkward sounding yet endearing about Homura's statement that the irritation Madoka feels disappears and she realizes that she's (her!) scaring Homura.

Sayaka had mentioned that she did get scary about certain things; it just so happened that skipping meals seemed to be one of those things.

"A-ah, I'm sorry Homura-chan!" Madoka gives her a friendly smile, showing her she's not really mad. "I didn't mean to yell—but it's important to eat a real lunch!" Madoka tells her. "Especially considering that you've only recently been released from the hospital!"

Homura gives a nod in understanding and Madoka is surprised to see the poker face on the girl crack as she looks relieved that Madoka isn't really mad at her.

Why did Madoka's opinion weigh so much towards her...?

Shaking her head slightly Madoka merely reaches back to grab her bentou she had set aside during her tirade and holds it out to Homura. "My dad usually packs too much in my bentou for me to eat so you can have some of mine!"

Homura, of course, declines. "It wouldn't be right of me to take some of your lunch due to my own negligence; sharing your lunch would mean you would have less of a balanced meal."

Madoka barely manages to not sigh in exasperation as her own words are thrown back at her. But, she isn't discouraged. If Homura won't accept food directly, then she merely has to take a different approach.

"Ehehe, that's true, Homura-chan. I'm glad you understand that it's important now!" Madoka agrees and then she reaches for her chopsticks. Before she picks them up however, she gasps lightly though loud enough to catch Homura's attention.

Homura is tearing open a packet of Calorie Mate when Madoka's gasp interrupts her task. "What's wrong, Madoka?"

"Ahh, I forgot to buy a drink earlier!" Madoka lies as she forms a frown on her face.

"What are you talk—oof!" Sayaka is elbowed a bit too hard by Hitomi who merely gives her a disarming smile. "I mean—yeah, ow, you were too worried about whether or not the transfer student would come that you forgot all about it." Her voice is flat and it's obvious she's lying—but Homura disregards her tone because somewhere in those words, it's her fault that Madoka doesn't have something to drink and she will need to fix it.

"Ah, I can go and buy you something," Homura says as she moves to stand but a surprisingly strong hand is around her thin wrist and she lets Madoka pull her back down to her seat.

"A-actually, Homura-chan," and Madoka looks at Homura before glancing at the second unopened milk box next to her. "...Is that strawberry milk?"

Homura nods, immediately realizing that Madoka wants her drink. "Ah. Would you like this, Madoka?" Homura sets the Calorie Mate on her lap and grabs the milk box, presenting it to the smaller girl.

"Oh! But...I mean it's your lunch-I'd feel bad just taking it!"

"That's alright, I can go buy myself another one..." Homura's voice trails off as Madoka keeps her hand around her wrist, forcing her to remain sitting.

"But only the far vending machines have that—lunch will almost be over by the time you get back!"

"No need to worry, Madoka. I can just get a plain one instead."

Feeling sorry for Homura who is obviously not understanding the situation, Hitomi cuts in. "Ah, if I may make a suggestion?"

"Hmmm?" Madoka turns to Hitomi in gratitude; Sayaka is no help at all!

"Well, if Madoka-san takes some of Akemi-san's lunch, then Akemi-san should take some of Madoka-san's lunch. It'll make up for portion that Akemi-san will be missing."

"Ah! That's a great idea, Hitomi-chan!" Madoka turns to Homura with a beaming smile and Homura nods slowly, unsure.

"Well, if it's what Madoka wants...?"

"Ehehe! Thanks, Homura-chan!" Madoka's cheerful face immediately banishes the doubts from Homura's mind.

"It's unfortunate that Sayaka-san is so selfish to not want to share her drinks with Madoka-san," Hitomi comments as Madoka piles more than a milk box worth of food onto her container lid for Homura.

"H-hey!" Sayaka tries to sound offended—but the fact that she's now drinking what originally had been Madoka's bottle of tea keeps Hitomi from feeling guilty at singling her out.

"M-Madoka, that's too much—" Homura protests as she's given half of Madoka's bentou.

"Don't mind, Homura-chan!"

/

Homura slowly eats her 'portion' as the other three girls continue their conversation about last night's drama. Homura, who only knows about the TV show due to her repeated timelines and somehow still retains clear memories about every episode, knows that they're going to be disappointed with what happens to the main characters in two weeks. A small part of her wonders how the series ends—the finale is supposed to be shown after Walpurgisnacht and well, it's just another one of those things that Homura has on her list of 'things to see or do after Walpurgisnacht is defeated.'

Which, is actually a pretty big list.

Madoka's attempts at including her fall flat, but Homura doesn't look at all uncomfortable just sitting there eating as the other three are talking.

As Madoka laughs at Sayaka's impression of one of the main love interests, she chances a glance at Homura's lunch and smiles wider when she notices that the girl is almost done eating; in fact there's only two pieces of karaage left on the lid.

Either Homura doesn't like karaage, or...

Before Madoka can ask her, Sayaka reaches over and plucks the biggest piece of karaage with her chopsticks and stuffs it in her mouth.

"Ahh, your dad really makes great karaage, Madoka!" Sayaka chews, swallows and then points her chopsticks at Homura, ignoring the frown Hitomi throws her way at her bad manners. "There's gotta be something wrong with you if you don't like it, transfer student!"

Madoka watches Homura, noticing the tightening of her grip on the fork Madoka had lent her and the barely visible frown on Homura's lips. The emotion disappears though in a flash and Madoka blinks, wondering if she had imagined it all.

Homura holds out the last piece of karaage to Sayaka. "You can have it."

"Sure," Sayaka finishes it off and Homura hands the lid back to Madoka.

"Thank you, Madoka. Your father is very talented at cooking," Homura states as she reaches for her almost empty milk box.

"Aah, thanks, Homura-chan. I'll be sure to tell him that!"

The hollow bubbly sound of Homura reaching the end of her drink is her only reply which is then followed by the chime of the school bell.

Lunch is finally over.

/

After school, Hitomi is briefly introduced to Tomoe Mami before she excuses herself for her flower arrangement class and the four of them head towards a nearby cafe to wait for the sun to lower before starting their search for a witch; evil things always did rise when the sun went down.

They settle into a seated booth with Madoka and Sayaka on one side while Mami and Homura sit across.

It's a quiet establishment and there are various booths both empty and filled surrounding them as they take in the quaint wooden decor; it's not as modernized as the mall's food court and the other three (minus Mami) scour through the menu as it's their first time there (though Homura is merely playing the part).

Recommendations from Mami are mulled over and once their orders are filled, Mami turns an expectant eye towards her would be proteges; Homura knows underneath that calm exterior Mami is brimming with excitement.

"So, have you two thought more about your wishes?" the blonde asks them, words neutral enough that any eavesdroppers would think nothing more of their simple schoolgirl conversation.

"I-I'm still not sure," Madoka admits as she fidgets with the napkin from her place setting. "I mean, there's nothing that I really want right now...I'm happy," she says with a helpless shrug.

Mami nods in understanding and turns to Sayaka.

"W-well, actually...I was wondering if a wish had to be for myself...?" Sayaka asks softly.

"Ah," Mami draws in a breath and then shakes her head. "No," she answers and Sayaka almost looks excited but Mami holds out her hand to stop her. "But, I wouldn't recommend wishing for something for someone else. Those kinds of wishes don't usually end well."

"Oh," Sayaka deflates and Madoka glances at her best friend in worry.

"Kamijou-kun?" Madoka questions and the way Sayaka's hands tighten into fists is a clear enough answer.

"The question you must ask yourself," Mami continues, "is whether you want to help them, because you want to, or because you want to help them for your own selfish reasons."

Sayaka almost gasps and raises her head to look at the older girl. "O-Of course I want to help him! It's not fair that something like that happened to him—someone like that—his talents are worth more than my own!"

Mami tries to placate her with a smile. "I can understand your feelings, Miki-san, but trust me when I say that this is something you must really think over. The consequences..." her voice trails off and leave the other two wondering what happens when a wish backfires on the wisher.

Homura is silent throughout the exchange, listening with only half an ear (because she knows that Sayaka's going to make that wish anyways) and is waiting for the food to arrive so that she can busy herself with something else other than tearing off pieces of her own napkin and rolling them into little balls.

Madoka glances at her, not at all surprised at Homura's hands-off approach; the girl had remained mostly quiet during Mami's (and Kyuubey's) teachings yesterday and Madoka wonders what kind of wish the dark-haired girl made.

Mami decides to break the tense atmosphere by telling them her usually strategies and the process she uses to find witches in the city.

The food arrives shortly after and Homura and Madoka split a tuna sandwich (where Homura looks almost excited to eat) while Sayaka ordered a half meal with chowder and a grilled cheese sandwich. Mami (to no one's surprise) ordered a cup of royal tea and a small slice of cheesecake.

They discuss normal (non-magical) things as they dig in and Mami feels hope swell in her heart as the loneliness that surrounds her is drowned out by these bright young faces.

Once the food is gone and their stomachs content, Sayaka suddenly hits her fist to her open hand as she remembers something.

"Oh yeah! Mami-san, I forgot to show you!" and to everyone's surprise, Sayaka is suddenly brandishing a wooden baseball bat and looking proud even as some of the customers in the cafe look at her strangely. "I brought this! I'm ready to take on any witch any day!"

Mami can't help but giggle and smile at Sayaka's enthusiasm while Madoka blushes and tries to get Sayaka to sit down. Homura's wondering if that is Sayaka's own personal bat or if she had borrowed it from the school (she remembers that the boys in their class had played baseball during P.E. today).

"What about you, Madoka?" Sayaka asks her as she finally takes her seat. "Did you bring anything?"

Madoka shakes her head; she hadn't thought of bringing something like a bat to the witch hunt. Maybe she really wasn't ready to become a magical girl... She's about to apologize but then she suddenly turns to her bag and starts digging through the contents.

"I didn't..." Madoka tells them as they watch her search for something, "but... I did prepare this!" she says as she pulls out a pink notebook. Mami and Sayaka help push the dishware off to the side to clear space and Madoka places her book into the middle of the table and flips through a few pages until she stops at the one she wants.

Mami and Sayaka blink before suddenly their booth is filled with laughter that carries across the room.

"You got me beat, Madoka!" Sayaka says as she wipes tears from her eyes.

Madoka's notebook is filled with drawings—sketches, really—of all four of them in magical costumes and the largest drawing is of herself in a poofy styled pink dress.

While Sayaka laughs and Mami smiles at Madoka's childish drawings, Homura's face remains passive but inside she's surprised; other than Mami's costume (which they saw yesterday), the costumes that Homura, Sayaka and Madoka are all drawn in are exact copies of what their real counterparts would be.

Perhaps... somehow, somewhere, Madoka still retained memories of her past...?

\\

With her soul gem held out in front, Mami leads the way as they search for one of the witches within the city. All three are silent: Mami giving them occasional encouraging smiles, Sayaka gripping her bat and Madoka clutching onto Sayaka's arm in fear as they continue their task. Homura is following but falling behind, thoughts elsewhere as she wonders just how much Madoka (or anyone really) remembers of their previous lifelines.

Maybe they all had suppressed memories hidden away in their minds; it could explain why Madoka is still so nice to her, why Sayaka is always so suspicious of her, why Mami still tries to play her part as her 'senpai' and why Kyouko is always the first to ally with her regardless of her intentions.

A sudden spike of magical static interrupts her thoughts and Homura forces her ears and tail back in as she realizes they're close to finding whoever was kissed by a witch in this timeline.

It's a business woman who's ready to jump from an abandoned building and Homura hangs back as Mami transforms and catches the woman as Sayaka and Madoka look on in fear.

"It's a Witch's Kiss," Mami explains as she lowers the ribbons, setting the unconscious woman onto the floor. "See this mark on her neck? This shows up when humans are influenced by a witch. The victim is then cast into despair, where they either commit suicide or turn their anger onto others. You can understand why it's important for someone to fight the Witches."

Sayaka nods and tightens her grip on the bat while Madoka looks on fearfully; she understands, but it doesn't mean that she isn't afraid.

They watch as Mami does something to the mark and suddenly the woman is groggily waking up.

"W-what happened...?" she asks, obviously confused.

"We were walking by when you suddenly collapsed, stating that you felt dizzy. Perhaps you should go home and rest?" Mami answers and the woman nods slowly.

"Y-yes, I should...go home..." she murmurs to herself.

"Will you be alright by yourself?" Mami questions, wondering if maybe one of them should escort her.

"Yes, I feel better now," the woman says, sounding almost offended as she detaches herself from Mami's grasp.

They watch as she stumbles a bit before walking past Homura and heading down the path the girls had come from.

Sayaka frowns after her. "She doesn't have to be so ungrateful."

Mami merely gives a knowing smile. "It's a thankless job, Miki-san." She turns to regard Homura who, for some reason, is a good distance away. Mami wonders if she's scared. "Akemi-san, perhaps it'll be good for you to transform as well. The witch is never far away from its victims and this will be a good experience for you as well. Don't worry, I'll be here and Miki-san and Kaname-san are here as well."

Homura blinks at Mami's words and almost scowls when she realizes that Mami thinks she's afraid of witches.

Oh, if only you knew, Tomoe Mami.

Then again, Mami is half right. Homura is indeed afraid, but not for the reasons that Mami thinks.

Homura sighs. She might as well get this over with.

Knowing the three are watching, Homura summons her magic and there's a flash of light as it washes over her thin frame. Instead of her school uniform, she's now dressed in a white and purple outfit and Madoka's eyes widen as she realizes it looks like what she drawn earlier in her notebook.

Mami and Sayaka too, are surprised, but they disregard Homura's outfit and are merely gaping at the two black cat ears on top of Homura's head and the black tail that is flickering around in nervousness.

"Bwuh?" Sayaka says intelligently. She knew the transfer student was weird but...

Homura flicks her hair behind her and walks closer to the still silent trio.

"Ah," Madoka finally notices the ears and tail that have Sayaka and Mami stunned. It might be the reflections from the now setting sun, but she's sure that there's a small blush dusting Homura's cheeks even as she remains stoned face.

In other words: the girl is slowly digging herself further into Madoka's heart and those adorable cat ears take the cake.

"Shouldn't we catch that witch, Tomoe-san," Homura drawls out and the blonde starts in surprise.

Mami coughs lightly into her hand and then gives Homura a smile. "A-ah, yes, Akemi-san, we...we should destroy the witch as soon as possible. Who knows how many others were kissed?"

Sayaka has never been one with much tact and she can't ignore something like this.

"W-what are you? Some kind of cosplay freak?" Sayaka says and Homura's not sure why she looks angry. "Is this how you want to make sure people remember you, transfer student? Is this moe!? Is it!?"

Homura's ears twitch in annoyance. "It's... part of my magic," Homura merely replies but Sayaka ignores her and steps closer to Homura, squinting and staring intensely at the black ears and tail.

Before Madoka can tug Sayaka away, the tomboy is suddenly standing behind Homura and grabs her black tail.

"What are you—!"

Homura's high pitched scream echoes throughout the empty building and her ears stand up straight as Sayaka uses her above-average strength to pull at Homura's tail.

"Ah," she lets go in surprise and Homura jumps away from her, whirling around and reaching behind to rub at her tailbone.

"Wha..why..." Homura has tears in her eyes as she grits her teeth in pain.

"H-Homura-chan!" Madoka rushes over to her in worry and gives Sayaka a disappointed look.

"S-sorry... I thought... it was fake...?" Sayaka says, still in shock that the tail is obviously very attached and very real.

"Akemi-san... are you alright?" Mami bends down to assess the now crouching girl.

"Y-yeah...just... give me a minute..." Homura replies as she swipes at her eyes with her white sleeve.

"Ahh," Madoka nervously looks around, wanting to comfort Homura but not knowing how. Not thinking clearly, she glances at Homura's ears that are now flat against her head and recalls a stray cat that used to hang out around Sayaka's house when they were younger. It had worked then...

Without warning, she reaches over and Homura blinks when she feels hands on top of head.

"There, there," Madoka says softly as she continues to pet Homura, noting absently that Homura's hair and ears are super soft. "Sayaka-chan didn't mean to hurt you, Homura-chan," and then pink eyes are glaring at the guilty looking girl who almost looks offended before she deflates under that piercing stare. "You should apologize, Sayaka-chan."

Sayaka wants to point out that she kinda already did, but then Mami's staring and watching her too and she sighs.

"Y-yeah," Sayaka scratches the back of her head and gives Homura a sheepish smile. "I'm really sorry, transfer student. I really didn't mean to hurt you. I-I'll make it up to you! Buy you some milk as an apology!" The last part had been improvisation but she hadn't expected Homura's ears to suddenly perk up at the mention on milk.

"...how much milk?" Homura asks as she lifts her head to look at Sayaka.

"Ahh," Sayaka shrugs, glances at Madoka who's still watching and then laughs nervously. "Uhm... as much as you want until you forgive me?"

Madoka nods in approval and with great difficulty, brushes her hand one last time across Homura's ears before she pulls away.

"Are you okay now, Homura-chan?"

"Y-yes, thank you, Madoka," Homura states before shaking her head slightly and flicking her ears at the sudden loss of warmth.

"Miki-san didn't do any permanent damage did she?" Mami asks worriedly and Homura shakes her head again, this time in disagreement.

"No...it's.. not a real physical attachment," Homura explains as she stands up, Madoka helping her and Mami straightening up along with them. "It's...a manifestation of my magic, so, it was more like she was trying to pull that away from me."

"Hmmm," Mami regards her curiously, wondering how that worked.

/So this must be the reason your magic seems different than Mami's, Akemi Homura/ a familiar voice echoes in their heads and Homura resists the urge from hissing at the white Incubator. /Although, I don't see the advantages for having physical manifestations of your magic visible on your body. What good could you gain from them?/ Kyuubey sounds curious and Homura shrugs.

"I'm not sure," Homura lies and she brushes imaginary dust from the shield attached to her left arm. "So far, the only thing they're really good for is that they can detect magic a bit better than just by using my soul gem. And, that it makes me fast."

/Curious/ Kyuubey states and then turns to Mami. /Regardless, there's still a witch that needs to be killed. I've been tracking her movements and three other people have been kissed by her/

"We should hurry then!" Mami states. "Kyuubey, since you know where she is lead us to her!"

/Sure, Mami!/

\\\

Holding out her now enchanted baseball bat, Sayaka gives a test swing and is satisfied the weight is still the same in her hands.

"Yeah! I can take on any witch with this! Come at me!"

"S-Sayaka-chan," Madoka is worried about Sayaka's enthusiasm but Mami gives her a wink, letting her know that no harm will come between them.

"Oh yeah, by the way, what kind of weapon do you have, transfer student?" Sayaka asks as she turns to Homura who is walking besides Madoka, putting the smaller girl in between her and Sayaka. "Is that thing for throwing?" Sayaka points to her shield and Homura tilts her head.

"No, why would you think that? This is a normal shield that can negate magical powers."

"Oh." That sounded...boring. "So... do you grow like, super long claws or something then?" That sounded plausible.

Homura blinks and Sayaka briefly imagines wiping the blank face from Homura's face with her bat.

"Miki Sayaka... I think you may watch too much anime."

Madoka giggles lightly at Homura's delivery and Sayaka throws her look of betrayal.

"I'm curious as well, Akemi-san," Mami interrupts and they turn to the other magical girl who's half turned and keeping an eye out for any stray familiars. "What kind of powers do you have? It completely slipped my mind earlier but knowing what you can do will help us work better together."

Homura nods in agreement. "I use firearms, similar to yourself," Homura states as she reaches behind her shield and pulls out a very real looking gun.

"Whoa!" Sayaka immediately backs away from her, grabbing Madoka along with her and holds out the bat towards the now armed girl. "I-Is that real!?"

"Yes," Homura states and because Madoka looks nervous, she slips the gun back into her shield and holds out her empty hands to ease their worries. "Unlike Tomoe-san, my powers manifested into my shield and I have no offensive powers of my own. To make up for that I acquired some equipment. I also have bombs," she adds in, more for Mami's benefit than Sayaka's.

"I...see," Mami says hesitantly. Mami has no doubts that Homura has acquired these things illegally, but she's smart enough to turn a blind eye; they are killing witches to save people. That has to be enough payment to whoever Homura had stolen the guns from.

Sayaka's face, however, twists as she realizes the implications. "Wait, how did you get them? And—and—where did you get them from!?"

Their conversation is halted however by Kyuubey's voice.

/It's here!/

"Miki-san, Kaname-san, please stay back," Mami tells them and they immediately move closer together. "Akemi-san, please take care of these two. Don't worry, it'll be over soon."

Homura ignores the disgusted face Sayaka throws at her as she pulls out another gun from her shield.

'Reality is not all black and white, Miki Sayaka,' is all Homura can think before she turns her attention towards two familiars that have noticed them. 'You could never realize that in the previous timelines, so tell me, will you for this one?'

Two bullets and the familiars are dead.

\\

"Sayaka-chan?" Madoka glances to her childhood friend and is disturbed by the uncharacteristic silence the normally upbeat girl exudes.

The two are making their way home after Mami had killed the last witch. Mami and Homura are still patrolling but Sayaka had decided to call it a night and Madoka had followed after her.

"Ahhh!" Sayaka growls in frustration. "I know—she says she's using them to kill witches, but Madoka!" And she turns to look at the smaller girl. "What's stopping her from using it on people? I-I mean, those are real guns—real guns that we hear on the news and that people use to kill other people!"

Madoka holds her hands and glances around nervously. The streets are empty since it's already night but talking about guns out loud doesn't seem like a smart thing to do.

"I...I trust Homura-chan, Sayaka-chan," Madoka says softly. She doesn't know why, but she does. "And, what difference does it make between her weapons and Mami-san's? She has guns—rifles even, not to mention that really huge one, Tiro Finale."

That was true. Why did Sayaka feel she could trust Mami waving magical guns around while Homura's own steel ones made her blood run cold?

"...she obviously stole them, Madoka," Sayaka presses on. "She illegally stole guns from who knows where. And who knows what else she has in that magical shield of hers; for all we know she could be some kind of klepto terrorist!"

Homura is supposed to be a magical girl! A hero, like Mami, taking down witches, defeating evil and saving the day! Magical girls weren't thieves that used real guns and bombs that could destroy cities!

Madoka sighs and tries to push down the mounting frustration that's creeping up because this is one of the traits of Sayaka's that she dislikes.

"Sayaka-chan," Madoka looks at her seriously. "I trust Homura-chan," she repeats firmly. "And don't forget that you still owe her milk."

Sayaka shakes her head in annoyance. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Figures that Madoka would take her side. A couple days and suddenly Homura is her new best friend. "Listen, I'm gonna split off from here, alright?"

"W-wai—"

Before Madoka can reply, Sayaka is walking away from her, using her longer legs as an advantage and Madoka knows better than to try and run after her. She sighs out and nervously looks around when she realizes that the streets are pretty quiet and there's really no one around.

Knowing about the existence of witches doesn't cease her worries and Madoka's debating whether to start running home when she hears something on the side of the road and she freezes.

"H-hello?" she squeaks out and hopes it's not a familiar.

"Meow."

Madoka blinks as a small, grey kitty steps from behind a pair of bushes and stares at her.

"Hi," Madoka coos at the feline, her fears abated as she's suddenly reminded of Homura.

"Meow," the cat replies and approaches Madoka curiously.

"Ehehe, would you like to keep me company as I walk home?" Madoka asks jokingly.

To her surprise, the cat leaps towards her and Madoka catches it in her arms. "I guess that's a yes?"

"Meow."

/

"I still say that we should've let Kyuubey follow them on their way home—just in case," Mami states as she walks slightly ahead of Homura. For some reason the girl seemed more agitated when Kyuubey was nearby and Mami wonders if it's because of some kind of animal instinct...?

"It's fine," Homura says as she brushes her hair back. "They live in a fairly good neighborhood. As long as they make no detours they shouldn't run into any problems." Homura would know; Homura did in fact know. "Besides," she says after a short pause, "I have someone looking after them." (Or more like looking out for Madoka.)

"Oh?" Mami looks back at her curiously. Homura remains silent and Mami knows she's not getting an answer any time soon. "Very well," and she lets the subject drop.

Homura feels her ears twitch and calls out to Mami. "There's a barrier this way," she nods to the side. "Seems a bit too weak to be a witch though."

The question hangs in the air and Mami realizes that Homura's letting Mami make the final decision.

During their earlier fight, Mami's earlier assumptions of Homura being inexperienced and scared were quickly refuted. The girl had handled the situation like a pro, picking off familiars with ease and Mami has a feeling that Homura could most likely take the witch on single-handed if she had wanted to. It should've made Mami suspicious due to how Homura had hid during their first encounter but, thinking back to how Homura had acted when she had transformed, the girl had most likely lied due to her... additional traits.

It's obvious that Homura has had bad encounters with other people who couldn't handle her ears or tail (like Sayaka) and Mami feels honored that Homura, who really didn't need her help, is letting her take leadership despite Homura being the stronger of the two.

Well, it's true that she's older than Homura and even if Homura is better at fighting, Mami is still the senpai here.

"Alright, Akemi-san! Tonight you learn how Tomoe Mami protects Mitakihara!"

She looks psyched and pumped up for reasons unknown to Homura who nods slowly.

Kyuubey tilts his head at Mami. Humans really are strange creature**s**.


	4. goodbye perfect cycle

**AN**: slight spoiler that isn't really a spoiler because most fans should? know about the identities of witches by now.  
and Drinkie, you guessed correctly !**  
**

* * *

**T**hings are tense on their way to school and Hitomi wonders what happened yesterday to drive such a huge stake through a close friendship that Sayaka and Madoka have.

/Sayaka-chan/

Madoka is using Kyuubey to talk to Sayaka through telepathy but the other girl merely shakes her head before turning back to Hitomi.

/I'm still thinking about it/ Sayaka tells her and Madoka knows that the discussion is closed until Sayaka wants to talk.

/How many more witches did Mami-san and Homura-chan hunt after we left, Kyuubey?/ Madoka asks the white creature instead.

/Mami and Homura found two more familiars and then split up/ Kyuubey replies. /Mami went home and Homura hunted two more/

"Eh?" In her surprise Madoka forgets the mental link and Hitomi and Sayaka turn to her, one looking confused while the other has an unreadable expression on her face. She looks almost angry.

"Madoka-san?"

"Ahh, I forgot to finish my homework," Madoka laughs nervously as she rubs the back of her head sheepishly.

"Oh dear, that's not good, Madoka-san," Hitomi reprimands her with a stern frown. "There's a test coming up soon and considering your scores on the previous one, you should be doing the work more seriously!"

"Ehehe," Madoka tries to laugh it off but luckily for her Hitomi suddenly turns to Sayaka who eeps in surprise.

"Sayaka-san! Your scores are just as bad, if not worse than Madoka-san's! You two really need to start getting your act together! Next year we will have to take the entrance exams for high school!"

"Ahh," Sayaka sighs and there's a look passed between her and Madoka. For a moment, Sayaka is Sayaka again and she gives Madoka a grin. But then she remembers that she's still mad (at who?) and she immediately looks away.

Madoka shakes her head and tunes out Hitomi as the taller girl continues berating them on their abysmal grades and she can't wait to get to school if only to avoid this awkward atmosphere.

Once they reach the classroom, they say their good mornings to the students already in class (Madoka takes note that Homura isn't here yet) and Hitomi quickly tells Madoka to show her her homework and that she'll help her finish whatever she couldn't yesterday. For once, Madoka is glad that she's horrible at math and that she actually has two unfinished problems from the assignment.

While those two concentrate on exponentials and things that Sayaka doesn't even want to think about, she calls out to Mami; she has a real reason to distrust Homura and the older girl has a right to know.

/Mami-san!/

Madoka glances over to Sayaka briefly; she is linked in the conversation as well.

/Yes, Miki-san?/

/Ah, good so you're there! It's about the transfer student!/

/Akemi-san? Is there something wrong with her?/

/N-no! Well, yes! I guess there is! Kyuubey was telling us that she went hunting for Witches by herself even though you went home! She's obviously using you and trying to keep the grief seeds to herself!/

/...Hasn't anyone ever told you it's wrong to talk about someone behind their back?/ a familiar voice interrupts and Madoka barely keeps herself from gasping in surprise. /Not to mention what it says about a person who spreads rumors without knowing the situation./

"No, Madoka-san, you're supposed to multiply here and here, like this," Hitomi adds in.

"Ehehe, I see, Hitomi-chan!" Madoka quickly erases her mistake, mind concentrating on more important things than math.

/What! When did you get here?/ Sayaka asks as she looks around. Homura is nowhere to be found.

/..You do remember Kyuubey saying that he could project his telepathic link within a certain distant don't you? That includes the entrance of the school/

No, Sayaka did not remember but Homura didn't need to know that.

/A-Anyways! Explain yourself, transfer student! Admit that you want to steal the town from Mami-san and keep all the grief seeds to yourself! That's also why you kept the one Mami-san threw at you the other day! I didn't see you use it, meaning you didn't need it, meaning you only kept it because you're being greedy!/

Homura keeps quiet which tells Sayaka everything she needs to know but Mami's clear voice is suddenly echoing in their minds.

/You're wrong Miki-san/ and they can hear a twinge of regret in Mami's voice. /She had my permission, though she didn't really need to ask. I am responsible for this town, yes, but there are enough witches around that there's no need to fight for territory, especially when Akemi-san is willing to work together with me. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but it was getting late and after hunting one witch and two familiars, I was getting tired and I still had my homework to finish. Akemi-san volunteered to go after the two witches that were being fairly active and she convinced me that she would be alright. She also dropped by my apartment this morning, offering up the one grief seed that she earned by herself, last night./

Mami pauses, letting that sink in before continuing.

/Also, the grief seed I gave her was a sign of alliance between Akemi-san and I. I gave it to her because I wanted to and I had no need for it as well/

And just like that, Sayaka feels her stomach drop. She realizes that she's been trying her hardest to find something wrong with the transfer student and that she's resorted to petty assumptions.

She was the worst.

/I assume that clears things up then/ Homura projects out as she steps into the classroom.

"Good morning, Madoka, Shizuki-san," Homura says as she passes them.

"Good morning, Akemi-san."

"M-Morning, Homura-chan!"

Sayaka keeps her head down, avoiding Homura's stare and remains that way all through her classes until the school bell chimes, signaling the start of lunch.

Madoka's attempts at getting Sayaka to talk to her via telepathy were ignored and Sayaka's the first out the door before Madoka can confront her. Madoka sighs.

"Did something happen between you two, Madoka-san?" Hitomi inquires as she walks to Madoka's desk with her bentou in hand.

"Mm, kind of," Madoka shrugs helplessly and looks over as Homura approaches. She notices the plastic bag the other girl is carrying and frowns. She has a feeling that she won't like what would be Homura's definition of a balanced meal. "Homura-chan, is that your lunch?"

Homura nods and blinks when Madoka holds out her hand. "Madoka...?"

"Let me see it," is all Madoka tells her and Homura can only comply.

"..."

"Oh, Akemi-san," Hitomi shakes her head as Madoka is rendered speechless by what she sees inside.

"Homura-chan..."

Homura doesn't understand what's wrong. "Y-yes?"

Except that it seems like Madoka doesn't like the onigiris she chose for her lunch.

/

Madoka lectures Homura on what a 'balanced' meal should be like for ten minutes so when they finally arrive on the rooftop, Mami is already there and to their surprise, so is Sayaka.

Madoka looks happy at seeing her best friend and runs over to greet her, dragging an almost sulky looking Homura after her.

Sayaka gives Hitomi a questioning glance which the other girl answers by pointing to the plastic bag Homura is holding. She recognizes the logo of one of the many convenience stores scattered around Mitakihara.

Ah, that explained everything.

"I'm sorry we're late!" Madoka apologizes and trades a look with Sayaka. They've been friends for so long that Sayaka knows that Madoka has already forgiven her for acting out of line.

She has already apologized to Mami and only has one more person to make up to.

"H-hey, transfer student," Sayaka calls out to her, forcing herself to look at Homura straight on.

Except—Homura isn't looking at her. Her gaze is instead focused on the bench behind Sayaka—where Mami is sitting and a stack of varied milk boxes occupy the seat next to her.

"Uh, I just wanted to say I'm sorry..." Sayaka trails off, annoyed and snaps her fingers in front of Homura's face, trying to get her attention. Lavender eyes briefly meet hers before they're distracted again.

"It's fine," Homura murmurs softly, still not looking at her. "It usually happens. I'm used to it."

Sayaka looks at her in confusion, but shrugs it off as being another weird transfer student thing. "Well, in case you didn't notice, I bought drinks—for all of us," Sayaka says as she clears her throat in warning and Homura looks slightly disappointed before the emotion disappears again.

"Ehehe, thanks, Sayaka-chan!" Madoka smiles at her and walks over to grab a drink.

"So..." and because Sayaka wants the attention on someone else, she glances to Homura who's following after Madoka. "What's in the bag, transfer student?"

"Ah," Homura flinches, stopping her hand from reaching a strawberry milk and she gives Madoka a nervous look.

To Sayaka, it reminds her of a cat looking to her owner in fear and she can't help but laugh at the strangeness of the situation.

/

With the air clear between them, the day continues uneventfully until it's finally after school.

Hitomi has cram school to attend and leaves first while Sayaka waits until Mami arrives before she too excuses herself with a wave.

"She's going to visit Kamijou-kun," Madoka explains as they watch Sayaka become a small speck in the background; she's walking fast, eager to spend as much time as possible in the hospital since she had missed visiting yesterday. Usually Madoka joined her, but considering the break-neck speed Sayaka is traveling, it's no wonder Sayaka had told her she'd be fine.

"Well, shall we head back to my apartment?" Mami asks and the other two nod in confirmation. Sayaka will join them after she's done.

"Hmm? Where's Kyuubey?" Madoka blinks as she realizes the white animal isn't around anymore; he was just here a minute ago.

"...He followed after Miki-san," Homura informs her.

"Ah, I see," and for some reason, Madoka suddenly feels a chill wash over her, like a premonition that something bad is going to happen to Sayaka.

"Madoka?" Homura, always observant of the smaller girl notices her freeze but before she can answer, a familiar sound greets them.

"Meow."

"Ah! It's the kitty from last night!" Madoka is immediately distracted and crouches down as the little grey cat approaches her. Madoka holds out her hand and the cat licks it before she scratches it behind the ears and it purrs in satisfaction.

"Last night?" Mami asks, curious at Madoka's offhanded comment.

"Y-yeah, when we were walking home, Sayaka-chan went ahead, and then this little kitty came and escorted me home!" Madoka says as she strokes the cat's chin.

"Ahh," a light bulb goes off in Mami's head and she glances over to Homura. "Is that cat an acquaintance of yours, Akemi-san?"

Homura blinks but isn't surprised when Mami puts two and two together; no one could survive being a magical girl that long without being smart.

"...Her name is Amy," Homura answers instead. She walks towards Madoka who's still playing with the cat and crouches down. "Is there something wrong, Amy?"

Madoka glances at Homura, trying to hide her amusement and failing at it.

"Meow," Amy responds and licks Madoka's hand.

"...I'm pretty sure I left you some this morning," Homura replies.

"Meow."

"Oh?"

"Meow."

"Hmm, that is worrying."

"Meow."

"I see, thank you for telling me. I'll stop by the store tonight."

"Meow."

"Yes, I remember what brand you like."

"Meoooooooow."

"..."

"Meooooooww."

"...Fine."

"Meow."

And then Amy licks Madoka's hand once more, rubs her face against Homura's shoe and bounds away.

"U-Uhm, Homura-chan...?" the smaller girl is staring at Homura in shock.

"Yes, Madoka?" Homura's face is blank as she turns to face her.

"Y-You can understand her...?"

Homura realizes how crazy she must've looked...but merely nods and flicks her hair back. "Yes."

"A-ah," Mami comments off to the side. "How interesting..."

Even with dealing with magic and witches, some things still managed to surprise her even after all this time.

/

It's barely an hour later and Homura is helping Madoka with her homework while Mami works on her own when Madoka's phone rings suddenly.

"Ah! Sorry!" The jarring ringtone shatters the peaceful atmosphere and Madoka fumbles in her bag for her phone while Homura tries to calm her nerves. "It's Sayaka-chan!" Madoka states as an explanation and notices absently that Homura's ears have popped up before she picks up.

"Saya-"

"Madoka! Hurry! You gotta bring Mami-san and the transfer student over here!"

"Wait, wait! What's wrong, Sayaka-chan?" Madoka tries to calm her down and Mami and Homura are now looking at her.

"There's a witch's egg or whatever, hatching at the hospital! Kyuubey says there's still time but who knows what'll happen if we wait too long!"

"O-oh! Okay! We're on our way, Sayaka-chan! Just wai-"

"Anyways, I'm gonna go into the barrier with Kyuubey so that we can find the witch easier! Kyuubey should be able to link us up when you're close enough! So hurry up!"

"Wait-"

*Click*

*beeeeeeeeeeeeeep*

"Sayaka-chan!? Sayaka-chan!"

"We should hurry, Kaname-san," Mami says as she gets up.

"Y-yeah," Madoka breathes out and glances over just in time to see the ears and tail disappear from Homura's body.

"She never really thinks clearly if that boy's involved, does she?" Homura asks rhetorically.

Mami gives her a sad smile. "Love makes people do stupid things..."

Homura merely shakes her head and starts heading towards the door.

If anything, Homura knows better than anyone what love can make someone do.

/

"They should hire a better decorator," Sayaka jokes as she nervously looks around. Like the last two witch's barriers that she's been in, the area around them is filled with clashing color schemes and scenery that makes Sayaka think she's dreaming.

It's only her and Kyuubey (so far) in this world and the sound her echoing footsteps make is doing nothing to cease her fears and she wishes (but not enough to make a contract) that she had at least thought to bring something with her as a weapon. As it stands, the only thing she has is her school bag and she's not exactly sure how her math book, though heavy, is going to protect her from a witch.

"So, you're sure we're going the right way?" Sayaka has no reasons to doubt Kyuubey but she does need a reason to fill the tense silence.

/Yes. We are heading in the correct direction. The witch is still sleeping but even then it's easy to pinpoint the largest concentration of despair within the barrier./

"I-I see. That's good then," Sayaka nods. "Do you know if Madoka and Mami-san are nearby yet?"

/Taking into account the slowest member of their team and the distance from Mami's house to the hospital, it will still be ten minutes until they arrive./

"What about the witch? I mean," Sayaka gestures to the walls around them, "I-Is it going to wake up soon? Like, before they get here?"

/Considering the activity of magic inside the barrier, I would say it's a very close race. It would be easier if you merely decided on your wish and destroyed the Witch before it can fully form./

"Heh. Be a hero, or I guess a heroine, huh?" Sayaka replies instead as she grips her bag closer. "I-I would love to. But, I can't-at least, not yet."

/I don't understand your reasoning. I can detect that you have strong feelings and that there's a strong wish hiding inside you, but for some reason you are stopping yourself. May I ask why?/

"Why...?" Sayaka says softly and slows down until she finally stops walking.

/Yes/

Sayaka turns to regard the white creature on her shoulders and she can see red eyes staring back. There's no curiosity in there, just a stare.

Sayaka looks away.

"Because I don't deserve to be one," she admits and Kyuubey tilts his head at her.

/I don't understand./

Here, Sayaka laughs. "That's alright, I don't understand it myself either. But, I can't become a heroine. At least... not until..." her voice trails off.

/Hm. Peculiar. Regardless, the Witch seems to be growing more active. It won't be long now until it will hatch./

"And Mami-san?"

/Still not within my range./

"I see."

Steeling her eyes, Sayaka looks down the corridor with determination. If push comes to shove, she will make that wish, but if and only then.

"Let's get closer. Which way, Kyuubey?"

/Turn here/

"'Kay."

/

Luckily for Homura, the witch's barrier is located towards the back entrance of the hospital where there's lesser chance of her and her ears and tail of being seen and she leads the other two with ease towards the hatching egg.

As Madoka stares at the strange black pulsating grief seed, she shudders as she feels the waves of evil emanating off of it.

"You don't have to come along," Homura tells her as she watches Mami open the barrier with her magic.

"E-eh?" Madoka is surprised and Homura merely gestures to Madoka's hands. She looks down and sees that they're shaking.

Mami is hesitant but agrees. "It's alright to be scared. You can just sit this one out; we'll be back soon."

Madoka can't help it; her knees are shaking and she IS scared but she reaches out and grabs Homura's hand.

"Please, let me come along..." she whispers. For some reason she doesn't want to be left behind. She feels safer with them (with Homura) than she does by herself.

Homura and Mami exchange a look and Homura nods.

"Don't worry, Madoka, I'll protect you."

Madoka doesn't know why, but she feels like she's heard those words before and still believes in them.

"Thank you, Homura-chan."

\\

As it happens, when Mami makes a scene, she really knows how to make a scene.

Standing on the edge of the epicenter of the witch's maze, Sayaka had been watching the black swirl of despair churn and convulse with ongoing morbid fascination.

After all, how many other people can say that they watched a witch hatch from the dredges of darkness?

Even when Mami and Madoka told her that they were on their way, that her job was finished, Sayaka remained there as the swirl turned into a dark tornado. She, a mere human playing a Witch's game, was thrown off balance and she landed on her back as the world churned and churned and warped into high platforms of various heights.

The background filled itself with bright candy colours and Sayaka sat up, staring at the almost innocent scenery that is nothing like what she associated a witch's barrier to be.

"What is this?" she whispered.

/Sayaka! Quick! It's hatching! You need to make your wish now!/

"That won't be necessary," a voice cuts in and suddenly Homura is there, kneeling besides Sayaka and carrying Madoka in her arms. She lowers Madoka to the floor and the smaller girl immediately reaches for Sayaka, throwing her arms around her.

"Sayaka-chan! Are you okay!"

"M-Madoka?"

And then the witch is there, front and center and they're staring at a large, worm shaped beast with a face that reminds Sayaka of clowns she had seen as a kid, when her family visited the nearby circus.

"That's the witch?" Sayaka asks instead, and there's disbelief because it looks...not witchy at all.

"Do not underestimate it," Homura warns as she pulls out a gun and Sayaka unconsciously cringes at the sight.

"Don't worry! Something like this will be a piece of cake!" a familiar voice cries out and they watch as Mami leaps over them, using her yellow ribbons like a trapeze as she aims and fires at the newly hatched witch.

Homura stays out of Mami's way, keeping the familiars back and protecting Madoka (and Sayaka) and they watch as the blonde leaps expertly through the air, throwing rifle after rifle and shot after shot at the black witch that flinches back at her non-stop assault.

To Sayaka and Madoka, Mami is an experienced warrior, a real, magical girl, hitting every shot accurately and pushing the witch back with a precision that they can only hope to one day achieve (maybe).

But to Homura, who recognizes that Mami is playing up her abilities because she knows the other two are watching, she can see the witch (Charlotte) getting angrier and angrier with each shot fired.

"She's going to get herself killed," Homura grits out suddenly and then she turns to Sayaka and presses something cold and hard into her hands.

Eyes widen when she realizes what it is and Sayaka wants to throw the gun away as far as possible-but Homura's grip keeps her from doing so.

"It's only just in case," Homura says as she tilts the gun, showing her the little tab at the side. "The safety's on; you'll need to push this for it to work. There's only eight bullets in here too. Remember that."

"W-What are you-"

Homura glances suddenly to her side and Sayaka instinctively follows the movement. She's reminded that Madoka is there. She can see that the smaller girl is shaking and that she's scared. Sayaka has always been there, protecting her, ever since they first met when someone had stolen Madoka's ribbons and Sayaka had given them a black eye.

"A-Alright," Sayaka swallows nervously and isn't surprised when her voice cracks.

"H-Homura-chan?" Madoka looks at her.

"I'll be back," and she nods to Sayaka. "Protect her, Miki-san."

"Y-Yeah!" good, her voice was stronger that time.

And then Homura's gone.  
/

It's strange, Mami thinks as she continues to fly through the air with her attacks. For some reason, she feels weightless, carefree. Happy, even, which is something she hasn't felt in a while.

At least, not since... she stops those thoughts.

The smirk on her face merely increases as she hears the witch cry out as her trusty rifles damage and bite through the darkness with their golden light.

She knows Sayaka and Madoka and Homura (especially Homura!) are watching and knows she needs to make up for her less than stellar performance last night. As a veteran, she should've been there with Homura instead of sitting at home, finishing her homework. She has responsibilities as a magical girl and it was irresponsible of her to let someone else (her junior!) handle it.

"About time we wrapped this up, eh Witch-san?" Mami says suddenly and she leaps higher into the air. She concentrates on her ribbons, visualizing and shaping her magic and forming her strongest weapon in her artillery and she lands on top of the cannon that forms underneath her. "Your time is up! Tiro Finale!"

The light released is almost blinding and Mami averts her eyes, still knowing that her aim is straight and true. As her golden magic disperses, Mami lowers herself to the ground, guns fading and her back to the destroyed witch. As she reaches up to catch the teacup signaling the end of her attack, she suddenly hears frantic shouting and focuses on the voices of Madoka and Sayaka who are screaming at her.

"Mami-san! Above you! Above you!"

"Mami-san! LOOK OUT!"

Mami can feel the blood drain from her face as she tilts her head up, eyes looking but not seeing the sharp and deadly set of teeth peering down at her. She vaguely notices her reflection on the teeth showing the terror on her face and she can only think that she's a bigger fool than she thought possible. Her hands miss the catch for her teacup and it falls to the ground, shattering to pieces.

"Mami-san!"

\\

When Homura told Kyuubey that her cat traits made her fast, she wasn't lying.

As soon as she left Madoka in Sayaka's hands, she had immediately scaled the wall, using her abilities to defy simple gravity and had leapt to one of the higher platforms. There, she had a better view of the fight and a better view of what she knew was going to happen.

She trains her eyes on Mami, watching as the blonde smirks right before summoning her greatest attack: Tiro Finale.

Closing her eyes as Mami shouted her catch phrase, Homura counts to ten and opens them just as the brightness in the area was dimming back to normal levels. She crouches, muscles tense, ears pressed and tail flickering as she waits for the right moment to intervene.

And there!

In a single leap she clears the distance and tackles Mami just as Charlotte chomps down to where the blonde once stood.

There is the sound of concrete being crushed as teeth met floor. Further away, the speed of Homura's tackle keeps the two rolling until they finally slide to a dizzying stop with a good distance away from them and the now confused witch.

"A-Akemi-san?" Mami tries to gain her bearings while Homura literally shakes her head, ears twitching as she catches her breath.

Maybe she should've used her time stopping powers instead though a small part of her thinks how fun that had been before she squashes it back down.

"Doesn't the body remind you of a caterpillar, Tomoe-san?" Homura asks calmly as she sits back on her haunches to stare at Mami.

Mami is once again reminded just how cat-like Homura seems and stares for a few seconds before she realizes she should answer.

"A-ah, y-yes?"

Mami is obviously still frazzled and Homura can see that Charlotte has finally located them and tilts her head at Mami.

"Are you still okay to fight?"

The questions brings Mami back to the present and though her hair is disheveled and her clothes are scuffed from their tumble, her eyes are almost burning and yes, she is still okay.

In fact, she's better than okay.

She's alive.

"Yes, of course," she nods in confirmation.

"Alright, here's the plan..."

/

As the barrier continues to fade around them, Homura lands besides the grief seed and places her hand on the cold object. Instead of picking it up, she bows her head and closes her eyes.

'I'm sorry,' she apologizes to Charlotte (Nagisa). She had meant to visit her tomorrow, figuring that she still had time before the girl would make her wish.

It didn't surprise Homura though that things never went as planned; Charlotte had hatched early this time around, maybe the earliest Homura has ever seen.

So much for a perfect cycle.

Her hand closes around the grief seed and Homura stands just as the barrier completely disappears.

Then Sayaka and Madoka are rushing over to Mami who wills her own magical costume away and the unused gun disappears from Sayaka's hands as Homura returns to her non-magical human form. She stands a bit away, watching as Mami wipes the tears from her eyes, as Madoka openly cries and Sayaka stubbornly tries to keep from sobbing in relief. Glancing at Kyuubey, who never reveals anything on his face since emotions doesn't exist for beings like him, Homura pockets the grief seed and turns her eyes to the now orange sky.

Even after all this time, killing witches like Charlotte (Nagisa) never really did get easie**r.**


	5. hello complications

**AN: **One of the longer chapters and entirely focused on Homura and Madoka and things that are made up.

* * *

**T**hings are quiet between them as Homura escorts Madoka to her house.

Sayaka is already at home; with her house being closer to the hospital than Mami's house, it made no sense to have her backtrack and they had dropped her off before returning to Mami's to pick up their belongings.

Due to Homura's additional witch hunts yesterday, Kyuubey had informed them there were no real 'active' witches out there, only familiars, and with much hesitation, Mami had agreed that they should take a break tonight.

Madoka had given Mami a nervous smile while the older girl had returned one of the same before they bid their goodbyes for the day, promises of seeing each other tomorrow, at school, and then split ways.

Now, Homura is walking with Madoka, shooting her occasional worried glances because she still seemed shaken up by what had almost happened to Mami.

Homura knows that Madoka's actually pretty strong mentally and that something like this won't break her. After all, in that one timeline that Mami had killed Kyouko and then tried to kill her, Madoka had been the one to save Homura by killing Mami.

Quick thinking and a strong resolve.

Madoka had that and was a wonderful magical girl.

Except, in this timeline she wasn't a magical girl.

No, Homura couldn't let her become one; if she did then everything would be over.

What this meant though, is that non-magical Madoka is more vulnerable than magical girl Madoka.

It's been a long while since Homura has last saved Mami from her death and a while since she's had to deal with the consequences of these kinds of _things_. She tries to shift through her memories, wondering how to comfort the other girl but comes up blank when she doesn't even remember what the word really means.

And then Homura can't think anymore, because Madoka's shoulders start shaking and she realizes that the smaller girl is crying.

"M-Madoka?"

"Homuraaa-chan!" Madoka wails and she throws herself at the taller girl.

Homura stiffens as she feels hands grip her jacket tightly.

Forget crying, Madoka is outright sobbing at this point.

A sudden memory hits Homura and she's reminded of a woman long ago who used to hold her close when the frustrations of not being a normal little girl were too much for a child to handle.

"It's okay, Madoka," Homura says softly as she finally wraps her arms around Madoka. "It's okay. I'm here."

/

"Are you alright now?" Homura asks her as she hands her a cup of hot cocoa purchased from a nearby vending machine. "Careful, it's hot."

"Y-yes, thank you," Madoka answers shyly as she accepts the drink.

They're halfway to Madoka's house at this point, stopped at one of the parks that Madoka used to frequent and one her little brother still plays at often.

The two are sitting side by side on one of the benches, Madoka now with a cup of hot cocoa in her hands and Homura likewise nursing her own drink.

Madoka glances at Homura briefly, face flushing slightly at the evidence of her breakdown represented by the large wet spot located around Homura's left shoulder. It seems crying for ten minutes straight can soak a jacket and shirt pretty thoroughly.

"I-I'm sorry about...that," she apologizes as she gestures to Homura's uniform.

Homura shakes her head. "It's fine."

And Madoka knows, that Homura really doesn't mind. Homura seemed to want to run through fire and ice for her and she really doesn't know why.

She is an average student with average looks and below average height. She has a normal family, no real talents whatsoever and is the definition of boring if she compares herself with Homura.

So why...?

"We should head back once you're finished," Homura interrupts her thoughts and Madoka jumps slightly before she nods. She sees Homura take a small sip and follows her example.

"Auch!" the hot cocoa is still hot and Madoka fumbles as she moves the cup away in surprise. The paper cup slip from her clumsy fingers and suddenly Homura is standing as a cupful of hot cocoa spills onto her lap.

There's only a gasp from Homura who somehow manages to not throw her own drink in the air and Madoka immediately leaps to her feet.

"Oh no! Homura-chan! I'm so sorry!"

"It-it's fine," Homura grits out and Madoka sees that Homura's cat ears have shown up—though this time they're pressed down as the girl tries to ignore the hot liquid burning her legs.

"Ahh, I'm so stupid!" Madoka says as reaches into her skirt pocket and pulls out her handkerchief. "I'm such a idiot," she repeats as she starts trying to pat the cocoa from Homura's uniform.

"Don't."

A cold voice—the coldest sounding voice she's ever heard from Homura, ever, stops her short and she feels tears pooling in her eyes.

Of course she would be mad. Who wouldn't be?

She's surprised when suddenly someone's holding her close (though making sure not to touch her with her soaked skirt) and she can smell cocoa as Homura rubs her head against Madoka's face, soft cat ears brushing against her cheek.

"Don't call yourself stupid," Homura says softly. "You're not stupid. It was a simple mistake. Don't worry about it."

"H-Homura-chan?" Madoka blinks slowly and then Homura is pulling away and she can see the cat ears are gone and there's instead a slight blush on the pale girl's face.

"Perhaps we should head back now; it'll be dinner soon anyways, the cocoa would've spoiled your appetite," Homura keeps her face turned and flicks her hair nervously behind her.

"Y-yeah..." Madoka replies dazedly.

Luckily Homura's skirt absorbed most of the damage from the hot cocoa leaving their bags untouched. They try their best to clean up the mess utilizing the public restroom nearby (which was where Madoka had freshened up at earlier) and once that is done, they throw away the used paper towels and cups, and continue their walk back to Madoka's house.

Just as they are turning the corner and the Kaname house is in view, Madoka suddenly grabs the sleeve of Homura's jacket, effectively stopping her and making her look at Madoka in curiosity.

"U-Uhm, Homura-chan, I'm really sorry—about—"

Homura cuts her off with a wave of her hand. "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

She tries to turn away but Madoka tugs at her sleeve once more. Thinking she's about to apologize again, Homura's mouth opens to refute her but then—

"A-Actually, would you like to stay for dinner?"

That—was unexpected.

"Uhm?" Homura closes her mouth and merely looks at Madoka blankly.

"S-See, well, if you don't wash your clothes out soon, they'll stain—and I was thinking you could wash yours while we're eating! Oh—and of course I'll lend you something to wear! Plus! Knowing you, Homura-chan, you're probably going to eat something unhealthy again!" Madoka presses on, listing her reasons and not letting Homura interrupt.

Homura blinks but before she can reject the offer, Madoka takes her hand and is suddenly staring at her with wide eyes that she can't refuse.

"Please? As an apology for—everything?"

And Madoka knows she's won when Homura nervously looks away before nodding stiffly.

"Thank you, Homura-chan!"

\\

"I'm home!" Madoka calls out as she takes off her shoes and lines them up neatly in the entrance way before continuing into the house. Homura places her shoes next to Madoka's and follows after the other girl.

"Welcome home, Madoka! Dinner will be soon—oh, who's this?" Kaname Tomohisa regards Homura curiously and she merely bows in greeting.

"Welcome home, Maroka!" Madoka's little brother parrots and Madoka grins at him, poking him in the cheek before responding to her dad.

"This is my friend, Akemi Homura," Madoka says as she grabs Homura's hand. "I accidentally spilled some cocoa on her clothes," she gestures to the darkened spots on Homura's uniform, "and she lives a bit further away, so..." Madoka looks at her dad and he merely nods in understanding.

"Sure, you should get the clothes in the washer as soon as possible then. Go wash up, dinner will be ready in half an hour. Nice to meet you, Homura-chan."

"Nice to meet you, Kaname-san," Homura says with another bow but is tugged away from Madoka who seems impatient.

"Change clothes first, Homura-chan," Madoka merely tells her and drags her away.

"Maroka!"

"We'll be back, Takkun!" she calls out to him as she leads Homura down the hallway to her room.

Tomohisa smiles at his daughter's antics and turns back to the stove.

"Guess Madoka made another friend, eh, Takkun?"

"Kitty!" Takkun replies instead.

"Hm?" Tomohisa looks around, wondering if there was a cat around and double checks the TV but all that's showing is the cartoon that Takkun likes and there are currently no cats on screen.

"Kitty!"

\\

"Hmm, maybe something like this will fit you better," Madoka mutters to herself as she digs through her closet.

"Anything will be fine, Madoka," Homura assures her. Truthfully, despite her reluctance to come here, Homura did want to at least change her clothes; there is still a good amount of cocoa stuck to her tights which is making them stick uncomfortably to her legs.

"Ah," Madoka looks at her in realization. "I'm sorry I ruined your tights! I'll buy you another pair!"

Homura shakes her head. "That won't be necessary, I have more at home."

"Hmm," Madoka responds distractedly and looks Homura up and down again. Homura is taller than her—but is (worrying) thinner than she is. "Alright, how bout this?" And she hands Homura a newer pink t-shirt she had bought last week, a thin pink hoodie she had purchased last year but never wore, and a pair of grey sweats that were too big and that she was hoping she'd grow into.

"That's fine, thank you."

If Homura is bothered by the amount of pink Madoka has in her room, she keeps her mouth shut and merely accepts the clothes graciously.

"Actually," Madoka glances at Homura's legs briefly, "you probably have enough time to shower before dinner," Madoka tells her.

"Ah, that's okay." She was merely going to rinse off and tries to decline but Madoka gives her another look and she sighs softly. "Uhm. Thank you."

"I'll get you a towel—and..." Madoka trails off and fidgets suddenly.

"Madoka?" Homura looks at her in confusion.

"Uhmm..." Madoka leans in and Homura has to keep her face flushing in embarrassment at the sudden closeness. Madoka whispers something into Homura's ear, and this time she does blush.

"I-I'm—I-don't think—it?" Homura stutters out as the tips of her ears burn.

"Ehehe, I have some new ones I bought last week as well—Uh, don't worry! I-I haven't used them but they're washed!" Madoka tries to say nonchalantly but her cheeks are also tinged pink. "Is—uhm. Would you prefer plain, or patterned...?"

"Ahh..." Homura wants to bury herself in a hole but squeaks out that plain would be fine and Madoka nods before quickly searching for what Homura needed.

"Here you go, Homura-chan," Madoka hands her the rest of her things and they both avoid eye contact. "J-just leave your clothes in the hamper by the door."

"T-thanks, Madoka," Homura manages to stammer out before heading to the bathroom.

As soon as Madoka hears the closing of the door, she places her hands to her warm cheeks. "Calm down, myself," she says quietly to the empty room.  
They are both girls, so it shouldn't be this embarrassing...

Likewise, as Homura leans against the door of the bathroom, she tries to calm down her full on blush.

\\

Less than ten minutes later, Madoka is in the living room playing with her little brother when Homura emerges from the bathroom. Madoka looks to her in surprise, especially when she notices that Homura's hair is also slightly damp. They both also pointedly ignore what Homura is now wearing.

"You're done already?" Madoka asks, voice full of doubt. "Did you wash properly?" Madoka is wondering if she has to lecture Homura on the aspects of hygiene as well but Homura merely nods. "Did you wash your hair too?"

"Yes, there was some cocoa in the back somehow. I hope you don't mind I used your shampoo as well."

"That's fine," Madoka says but she gives Homura a stern look. "It takes me at least fifteen minutes to shower—if I'm rushing it, and my hair is definitely shorter than yours. How did you wash and dry it in that limited amount of time?" Madoka demands.

There's a ghost of a smile on Homura's lips as she replies. "Magic."

Madoka blinks. "Eh?"

"Kitty!" Takkun shouts out, interrupting them and he moves closer to Homura. "Kitty!"

Homura and Madoka both turn to him in surprise.

"T-Takkun?"

"Kitty!" Takkun repeats and tugs at Homura's sweater. "Lemme pet kitty!"

The two girls exchange a look and Homura crouches so that she's eye-level with the young boy.

"Kitty!" he giggles and gently ruffles the top of Homura's head.

"Ahhh, Takkun! That's no way to treat Homura-nee-chan!" Tomohisa scolds his son from the kitchen.

"Kitty!" Takkun says again and this time Tomohisa steps away from his preparations and wipes his hands on a dishtowel.

"I'm sorry, Homura-chan, it seems Takkun has new nickname for you," he apologizes.

"It's fine," Homura isn't all that bothered and Madoka merely giggles louder.

"Kitty! Let's play!" Takkun tugs at Homura's sleeve and points to the low coffee table and the papers that they are drawing on.

"A-alright," Homura agrees as she stands and lets Takkun drag her over to where Madoka is.

"Kitty," Madoka says teasingly and Homura blushes as Takkun repeats after his sister.

"Kitty!"

\\

"I'm home!" Junko Kaname calls out to her loving family, taking note of the extra pair of school loafers next to her daughter's.

"Mama! Mama!" she can hear Takkun's adorable voice calling after her and Junko steps further inside, immediately noticing that it isn't Sayaka like she thought and takes note of a dark-haired girl she has never met dressed in clothes that she had helped her daughter pick out.

"Welcome home, Mama!" Madoka calls out and Junko steps to the kitchen to give her husband a kiss before she turns to her two children and the mysterious guest in their house.

"And who is this?" Junko asks with smile as she bends down to intercept Takkun who is running towards her.

"Kitty!" Takkun responds and Homura blinks while Madoka grins before standing up and Homura follows suit.

"Mama, this the transfer student I told you about, Akemi Homura!"

Ahh. Right, there had been a cool, mysterious girl that Madoka mentioned the other day.

Homura bows politely. "It's nice to meet you, Kaname-san."

"Ahh," Junko waves her hand away. "Kaname-san is what you'd call my parents! Please, call me Junko!"

Homura merely bows again and Madoka grabs her arm and bumps her hip with Homura's leg, causing her to stumble slightly.

"Madoka," her voice is soft and confused and Madoka smiles.

"Don't be so nervous, Homura-chan!"

"So, I'm assuming she's staying for dinner?" Junko asks as she looks Homura over.

"Ehehe, I hope that's okay, Mama! Papa said it was alright!" Madoka gives her mom an unsure look.

"It's fine, but please, next time at least give us a day notice," Junko tells her and Madoka nods.

"I-it was kind of last minute...sorry."

"That's alright, as long as you understand," Junko easily forgives her and Madoka brightens. "And have you informed your parents that you won't be home for dinner, Homura-chan?"

Madoka suddenly remembers that she hasn't seen Homura on the phone at all. Maybe before the shower...? But no, Homura is shaking her head.

"No, I haven't," Homura tells her truthfully and this time Junko frowns. Her opinion of Homura is plummeting quickly and Madoka glances at Homura in worry.

Junko decides that maybe her first impression of this girl isn't as good as she thought. "Well, you should at least give them a call; I'm sure they'll be worried when their cute daughter doesn't show up for dinner!" she keeps her tone light but Madoka knows her mother is now testing Homura and determining if she likes her.

Homura pauses and she stares at Junko as she thinks on what to do. She's been in this situation before; many times, in fact, and her answers always varied but generally all ended with the same conclusion that Homura lived alone. Not once has she ever told Junko or Madoka or anyone the real reason why and maybe because Homura is feeling a bit sentimental, especially since the park, a spark of curiosity lights within her and she wonders...

She looks at Junko straight on. "I don't think it'll affect them to know where I'm eating dinner at tonight," she answers and Madoka has to fight the urge to grab Homura and hide her in her room. What is she doing!? Where is the sweet, little awkward Homura that Madoka is getting to know!?

Junko narrows her eyes at Homura. The girl is a cheeky little thing, isn't she. Well, no matter. Junko carries Takkun and hands him over to her husband. "Give us a few moments?" she says and she gives Takkun a kiss on the cheek as Tomohisa nods and walks further into the house to give them some space.

"Now, listen here," and Junko whirls on Homura as Madoka gulps fearfully. "If you would like to eat dinner here, with my daughter and my family, you will take out that phone of yours and call your parents and tell them where you are. You may think that it's none of their business, but as a mother myself, I worry when my daughter," and she glances at Madoka as if reminding her of what had happened the other day, "doesn't tell me where she's at when there's a place setting waiting for her during dinner. Do I make myself clear?"

Homura tilts her head at Junko and only because she knows Madoka looks close to having a panic attack, nods and walks over to her bag to retrieve her cell phone.

"Actually," Junko says as Homura takes the white flip phone out, "just dial the number and I'll speak to your parents."

Madoka feels a cold sweat break out as she watches her mother reprimand the usual taciturn (well, to Madoka at least) Homura.

"Alright," and Homura flips the screen open and selects her contact list. She only has six contacts stored inside and her finger hovers as she decides whether or not to call her mom or dad.

Junko clears her throat and Homura makes a quick choice: her dad will most likely not pick up leaving her mother the number to call.

Homura pushes the button and holds out the phone towards Junko obediently. She takes it and places it to her ear as the phone rings.

Homura wonders if her mother will pick up—but then suddenly—

"Hello?"

The room is quiet enough that they can hear the other woman's voice on the other line. Homura's face remains passive as she hears a voice she hasn't heard in years.

"Ah, hello? Is this Akemi-san?"

"Yes, who am I speaking to?"

"Ah, good evening, I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm a friend of your daughter—"

"My what?"

"Your daughter, Akemi Homura?" and Junko glances to Madoka for confirmation who nods.

"My daughter?"

"Yes—your daughter," Junko agrees. "And—"

"Listen, I told the hospital that if anything happens they're supposed to contact her father."

"No—I'm not with the hospital," there's a confused look on Junko's face before she continues, "I'm a friend of your daughter's—"

"I'm a bit busy here, can you please just state what you want?"

"Yes, your—" Junko is interrupted when Homura takes the phone away from her.

"Hello, mother?"

"...Ho-Homura... ah... how-how are you?"

"I'm fine mother. How have you been? It's been a while since we last spoke."

Homura now has her back turned to Madoka and Junko.

"Ah...mother is also fine... is...is there something that you need?"

"No, not really. I'm just calling because I'm supposed to tell you that I'm eating dinner at a friend's right now."

"I...I see. T-that's nice dear. Is it your friend—what was her name—Chiko?"

"Chieko?"

"Y-Yeah! Chieko-chan! How is she doing?"

"Chieko wasn't my friend; she was my roommate in the hospital in Tokyo."

Madoka gives her mom a nervous look.

"Nonsense, dear! You two were close as peas in a pod! Don't tell me you stopped talking to her just because you moved!"

"Well, I'm not sure she'll be able to get my phone calls since she died two years ago."

"A-ah... Well, it h-happens to everyone, honey. W-well, if that's all—"

"I wanted to ask you something," Homura's eyes are distant as she remembers that day. "I tried calling you when I was released from the hospital, but I guess you changed your number... I guess I didn't get the memo from the nurses."

She can still remember how devastated she was when another woman picked up the phone—and promptly hung up on her. All she does now when she's released from the hospital after every restart is wait for her Aunt to call her and tell her that her mother changed her phone number without telling her.

"A-ah, yeah, I'm pretty sure I left them it! N-No wonder I didn't get a call from you all that time."

Liar.

"Mm, it's a good thing Aunt Keiko had your new number, otherwise I'm not sure how I would be in contact with you."

Homura actually has the number memorized; it's one of those things that never change even during a new cycle.

"Ah... yes, well, you know that mother is a very busy woman! Have you tried calling your father then?"

She always did deflect to her father when things started going bad.

"No, I don't think he would appreciate a call during this time."

"That man! Always too busy running into another woman's arms!"

"Oh? Is he no longer dating the woman from the Tokyo branch?"

Last she had heard he was having an affair with his secretary; why her mother still hadn't divorced him was a testament to how they both still clutched onto things that Homura couldn't understand.

"They broke up months ago, Homura! He's with some jail bait hussy now—"

The phone is pulled away from Homura's hands and she turns to see Junko looking absolutely furious as she snaps the phone shut. Homura's face is blank and Madoka grabs her suddenly and hugs her hard.

"Homura-chan!"

Junko grits her teeth and closes her empty hand into a fist; how dare that woman even call herself a mother?!

Homura isn't sure what she's feeling. There's a reason she has never talked to her parents after the first timeline and she wonders just exactly what she was hoping to accomplish by making that phone call; maybe it's the same thing she's hoping when she always re-programs her mother's new phone number in her phone.

"Madoka, I think I'll go home now," Homura says as she tries to detach the smaller girl away from her.

Madoka shakes her head and grips Homura tighter. "No!"

"Madoka," and Homura's voice is louder now as she tries to pull away. There's a very strong need to leave this suddenly too bright place. "I—need to leave—" Homura chokes out and she knows that she should be able to push Madoka away easily but for some reason she can't find the strength to shove her away.

Suddenly, another pair of arms are surrounding her and Homura can smell the scent of perfume around her. It's almost nostalgic.

"I'm sorry," Junko apologizes as she holds Homura against her chest.

It's a familiar feeling and it reminds Homura of things long buried in the past.

The tears threaten to spill but she chokes—everything—down. She won't cry—not for them. Not now, not anymore.

The only thing that Homura will cry for is Madoka and the girl is still alive. Still living and still breathing.

And as long as she's still here, Homura knows she can handle anything.

Or so she wants to believe.

\\

After something continues to hang in the air throughout dinner, Homura apologizes to Madoka as she follows her to the laundry room to retrieve her clothes.

"I'm sorry, Madoka, it's my fault that dinner was ruined," she bows in apology and Madoka looks to her in surprise.

"Why are you apologizing, Homura-chan? You didn't do anything wrong! And dinner wasn't ruined!" Madoka says as she grabs her and forces her to straighten up.

"Still, this would have never happened if I hadn't provoked your mother. I should've merely given the abridged version instead of... what I did."

Madoka suddenly looks sad. "You mean you would have continued hiding everything," Madoka says softly and Homura can hear something in her voice but is unable to pinpoint what is it.

She brushes it aside. "Yes," she agrees as she reaches out to pull the dryer door open. As she slightly kneels to grab her now dried clothes, arms reach and wrap around her waist.

"Homura-chan...that's too sad..." Madoka's voice is muffled as she presses her face against Homura's neck but Homura knows that it sounds like Madoka is about to cry again. "Something like that...is too sad."

Homura doesn't know what to do; obviously after everything that has happened today, Madoka's emotions would be running haywire. With that little stunt Homura had pulled, just to satisfy her curiosity, she has now upset Madoka which is something she never wants to do.

"I'm sorry, Madoka—please don't cry. Not for someone like me."

She's surprised when Madoka suddenly grabs her roughly and spins her around.

"Don't talk like that!" Madoka yells at her.

"M-Madoka?"

And Madoka can see there's real confusion in Homura's eyes; is this how Homura felt when Madoka called herself stupid?

"Of course I would cry for you, Homura-chan!" Madoka says as she rushes forward, tackling her and Homura trips slightly before she finds herself pushed against the washer.

"M-Madoka?"

The sound of her crying is the only reply and Homura helplessly looks around. She sees Junko, watching her from down the hallway and the woman holds her arms out, miming what she should do and Homura stares as Junko repeats the gestures more vehemently. It's one thing to hug Madoka while they're alone; it's another to hug her while her mother is watching. Junko has one hand on her hip now and Homura can see the threat hidden in her body language as if daring her to leave her baby girl left hanging. Homura raises her arms slowly and awkwardly pats Madoka on the back. Junko nods in approval and then disappears into the living room.

\\

"I'm sorry," Madoka laughs softly as she wipes the tears from her face with her palms. "I can't seem to stop crying today," she says softly as she sniffles, obviously embarrassed.

"It's okay. It's understandable, after everything that has happened," Homura nods and Madoka looks at Homura who through it all, has remained stone-faced and the closest she has ever seen tears from the stoic girl was when Sayaka had pulled on her tail.

"I feel like I've cried enough for the both of us today, ehehe. Too bad I can't be strong like you, Homura-chan."

Homura is retrieving her clothes from the dryer and pauses as she examines her jacket and notes that there is no staining.

"I'm not strong, Madoka," Homura tells her quietly. "And you're stronger than you think," she adds in, with that knowing tone of hers that has Madoka once again feeling like...she's met her before somewhere.

Homura turns her skirt over, checking for stains as well and then she quickly grabs something from the dryer, hiding it under the skirt while looking slightly embarrassed.

Madoka giggles suddenly when she realizes what it was. There's just something so funny about it that she's laughing and somehow she can't get herself to stop.

"H-Homura-chan!" Madoka clutches her stomach as the laughter continues and Junko pokes her head into the laundry room as her only daughter howls with laughter.

Junko raises an eyebrow at Homura who shakes her head.

"She should calm down after a while, though it'll help if you get her to drink some water," and then the woman is gone and Homura stares helplessly at Madoka who laughs even harder.

After Madoka calms down and washes her face, she finds another pink hoodie for Homura to wear since her current one is soaked with tears.

She then drags Homura over to the living room and has the girl continue to help her with the homework they were working on before everything had happened at the hospital.

"Ahh, I understand it when you help me, but every time I try to do it by myself I always get it wrong! I don't understand mathhhhhhh!" Madoka whines as she pulls at her hair.

"You were close, Madoka," Homura tries to placate her. "Up until this point," and she points to halfway of the equation where Madoka carried over the wrong number.

"Ah! What!" Madoka looks at it more closely and she finds it's true; if she had double checked her work she would've had the correct answer.

Homura nods. "Start over, so you can figure out where you went wrong and I'll check it when you finish," she tells her before she turns to her worksheet.

"Alright! I can do this!" Madoka looks determined as she grabs her eraser, brandishing it like a weapon before she attacks her incorrect solution.

"How are things going?" Junko asks with a smile; she could hear Madoka whining from Tatsuya's room.

"Fine, right, Homura-chan," Madoka answers as she brushes the eraser shavings away. "I'm actually starting to understand it, Mama!" she turns to grin at her mom before turning to Homura. "And it's because Homura-chan is such a great tutor! She gives really easy to understand explanations! I bet even she could tutor Sayaka-chan!"

"Ahh, that would be something amazing, Madoka," Junko responds and they both look at Homura who's focused on writing her homework neatly and is ignoring the both of them.

Junko shakes her head. She was an idiot to think that Homura was a selfish brat; the girl is a good kid.

Maybe too good.

"Aah, you should take your bath soon, Madoka," Junko reminds her daughter who is now concentrated on the problem in front of her and has her tongue sticking out to the side as she works through the equation.

"Oh," Homura glances up to the clock on the wall and notes the time. "I should be getting home," she says as she regards Junko briefly. As she starts putting her supplies away, she turns to Madoka. "Once you finish that problem, I'll look it over for you, Madoka, but I think you'll be able to finish the rest on your own."

"Eh?" Madoka looks up as she sees Homura packing. "O-Oh, it's already this late?" Junko doesn't miss the look of disappointment on Madoka's face. "Uhm, Mama, will you be able to give Homura a ride home?" There's an unasked question there that Junko hears immediately.

"That won't be necessary," Homura rejects the offer. "I don't live that far, there's no need to trouble Junko-san anymore."

Junko grins and then she's there, slipping her arm around Homura's shoulder, taking note that Homura jumps at the contact and files the thought away for later. "Of course it won't be any trouble! But, well, I have a better idea: why don't you just stay over tonight, Homura?"

"Eh?" Madoka is surprised but then grins. "Really, Mama? Even though it's a school night?"

"Well, normally I wouldn't allow it since you and Sayaka-chan tend to stay up watching those scary movies I tell you not to watch," and here Madoka looks sheepish,"but Homura here seems to be responsible enough and doesn't seem like one who likes scary movies. Isn't that right, Homura?"

"Uhm. I-it's fine, I can walk home," Homura tries to somehow shrug off Junko's arm without being rude but the woman has a strong grip; it must be where Madoka gets it from.

"Madoka, why don't you go take your bath now?" Junko asks and Madoka looks between Homura and her mom for a moment.

"...Okay," Madoka agrees and slowly gets up. She gives her mom a look that Homura doesn't understand and then it's just Homura and Junko in the living room.

"U-uhm," Homura gives Junko a nervous glance. "...I should really be getting home."

Junko nods but doesn't let go. "Listen, Homura, I want to apologize for earlier. I'm sorry. It was wrong for me to assume that... well, to assume I knew anything about your parents and your home life."

"Ah," and Homura finally understands what Junko is doing: she feels guilty for putting Homura on the spot earlier but ultimately, it had been Homura's own provocation that had made things escalate that badly. "There's nothing you need to apologize for, Junko-san," Homura denies in that quiet voice she has. "It was my own selfishness that drove you to that point and I apologize for my earlier behavior."

Ah, she really is a good kid. Willing to take the blame for things even beyond her control.

"I wasn't lying when I want you to stay over, Homura," Junko says instead. "After dropping that kind of bombshell on my daughter, do you think I'll let you leave that easily?"

Junko Kaname has always been an enigma to Homura, no matter how many times she meets her or talks with her. Homura figures it's because she hasn't had any real adult supervision in a very long time and she just doesn't really understand how someone like Junko, like an adult, thinks.

"I'm...sorry?" Homura is confused and Junko laughs as she holds Homura closer.

"Now, you think that I want you to stay over because I feel guilty for yelling at you earlier, right?" Homura nods in agreement. "Well, that part is true. But I also want you to stay over so that Madoka will know that you're okay."

"I...don't understand," Homura admits.

Junko smirks. "Of course you wouldn't! But, I know my daughter very well, and she won't be able to rest easy knowing that you, are out there, all by yourself while she has this," and Junko gestures around her, "within an arm's reach."

Homura's eyebrows furrow slightly. "I'm used to it though."

Ah, the girl knows how to break hearts as well.

"That's why, Homura," Junko tells her softly. Homura turns to look at her and Junko winks at her. "Please, humor an old woman's ramblings."

"...You're not old, though?"

Truly, bless her heart.

/

"Ahh, I feel tired already," Madoka says as she falls over to land on her bed. Her soft, soft bed.

Homura watches as Madoka turns over to bury her face in the pink blankets before choosing her response.

"Considering the events that occurred today, I wouldn't be surprised if you weren't," Homura tells her and Madoka hums in response.

Though Madoka can feel the comfort of her bed lulling her to sleep, she manages to pry open her eyes and rolls over to see what Homura is doing. The other girl is standing in the middle of the room, fidgeting with the pocket of her hoodie (she has decided to just wear the outfit as pajamas) and looks so awkward that Madoka can't help but smile at her.

"I'm glad you decided to stay, Homura-chan," the sleep is evident in Madoka's voice and Homura looks over to her, giving a brief nod.

More like she didn't really have a choice, but she doesn't tell Madoka that and merely makes an uncommitted noise of agreement.

Madoka's eyes are closing again and Homura looks at the clock to the side of her dresser: it's 11:17pm, a bit earlier than Homura is used to sleeping but Madoka doesn't seem like she can stay awake any longer.

"Perhaps we should go to sleep," Homura says and Madoka hums again in agreement, too content to move. The smaller girl is sprawled across her bed and though the sleeping arrangements were decided that Homura would merely share a bed with Madoka, Homura doesn't want to bother her and moves to leave the room.

In her haze, Madoka hears the footsteps as Homura walks away and hears the click as the lights are shut off. Madoka waits for Homura to join her, but is confused when the door opens and closes and she forces her eyes open.

"Homura-chan!?"

Madoka is fully awake now, angered that the other girl ditched her and she shoots off from her bed and rushes out the door.

A minute later, a confused Homura is being dragged back into the pink room. Madoka closes the door behind them, waiting for her eyes to adjust before pulling Homura to her bed and moving the blankets away.

"Do you want to sleep by the wall or outside?" Madoka asks. The room is dark, but not at all to Homura and she can see Madoka looking at her expectantly. "Homura-chan?"

"...outside is fine."

"Good, I like sleeping by the wall anyways," and Madoka climbs into her bed, scooting over to make room for the taller girl who just stares after her. "Homura-chan?" Madoka pats the empty space and Homura hesitates a little too long. "Ho-mu-ra-chan?" the way Madoka says her name sends chills running down Homura's spine and she quickly takes her place on the bed besides Madoka. "Good, now lie down," and this time Homura obediently follows instructions and is stiff as a board as Madoka pulls the blankets around them and tucks her in.

"Ehehe, it's warm, huh, Homura-chan?" Madoka says as she tries to snuggle deeper into the mattress.

"...yes," Homura agrees after a moment as she stares at an unfamiliar yet familiar ceiling.

"Goodnight, Homura-chan."

"...goodnight, Madoka."

/

Homura manages to sleep for two hours, before the nightmares that haunt her nightly forces her eyes open. There's bile building at the back of her throat and she chokes down a terrified sob, trying to move as quietly and quickly as she can for the bathroom down the hall without disturbing the sleeping residents in the house.

Closing the bathroom door behind her, Homura doesn't bother turning on the light and barely manages to make it to the toilet before she's pulling back her hair with one hand and lifting the lid with another and throwing up whatever was still left undigested from dinner. She retches and tries to rid herself of the memories and the pain and she doesn't know how long has passed since she's been kneeling there, just that her stomach is empty, her throat is burning and her hands are still shaking as she's gripping onto the porcelain for dear life.

She doesn't remember (she lies, she always remembers) her dreams and she stays there, forcing the memories away until her legs are numb and her hands finally, finally stop shaking.

With a bit of effort, she clamors heavily to her feet and then lowers back down the seat and lid before flushing.

"Homura-chan?"

She doesn't hear the door open and the quiet voice catches her completely off guard. She whirls around just as the light turns on and she squints at the sudden brightness. She blinks slowly as her eyes adjust and then she's staring at Madoka who's also blinking and then staring back at her and suddenly Madoka's face twists with worry as she can now see how unhinged Homura looks.

Homura lowers her head, feeling entirely too vulnerable and tries to lock her emotionless mask back into place. She fails miserably and the cat ears that always appear whenever she loses control of her emotions lay flat against the top of head.

She avoids looking at Madoka and instead pads over to the sink and turns on the faucet. She washes her hands and arms with soap and water, though she knows that they'll always be dirty (withtheirblood). Madoka is silent as Homura splashes her face with water and then rinses out her mouth.

And then the water is off, and she's left standing there, face dripping wet and eyes looking so haunted that Madoka finally shakes from her stupor and is crossing the distance between them. She walks past her and grabs one of the extra face towels off the rack nearby and approaches Homura cautiously.

Homura flinches when she feels the fabric on her cheek and she closes her eyes because she doesn't want to see the look on Madoka's face.

When she doesn't pull away, Madoka gently wipes her face and hands dry and when she's done, she sets the towel aside on the sink and gathers the broken girl in her arms and holds her close.

"It's okay, Homura-chan," Madoka whispers softly to her. "It's okay to cry."

Thin, bony hands press into Madoka's back as Homura buries her face into the smaller girl's neck. She's shaking, but knows that she can't let all her emotions go or else she's going to fall into despair.

Taking comfort at the warmth from Madoka's embrace, Homura slowly sets back up her mental barriers and within a few minutes, she's back to her 'normal' self. She knows that she'll need to clean her soul gem soon; maybe in the morning when she can get away from Madoka for a few minutes.

"Thank you, Madoka," Homura says as she pulls away and puts away her ears and tail.

Madoka is less than surprised to see that usual blank face of Homura's, except she now knows what's really hiding beneath.

Madoka's heart aches and she wonders how long Homura has been dealing with this pain, but then Homura is leaving and all Madoka can do is follow after her. The smaller girl swipes her hand under her eyes as she brushes away the tears that are starting to form.

No, she won't cry—she can't.

She's already cried enough for today.

She flicks off the light as she exits the bathroom and trails after Homura who leads the way back to Madoka's room. Closing the door, Madoka turns to see Homura standing off to the side of the bed, waiting for her to climb in first. She complies and settles into her spot, and when Homura climbs in after her, Madoka reaches over and tugs her closer—closer so that their bodies are pressed together and her arms are around Homura so that the other girl can feel that Madoka is here; here for her and that she's not alone and that things will somehow be okay.

She'd make sure of that.

It takes a while, but eventually Homura relaxes and Madoka waits until she can hear and feel her even breathing, signaling that she's falling asleep before she too, closes her eyes.

"Goodnight, Homura-chan," she murmurs softly and a content sigh is her only reply as they both drift off to slee**p.**

* * *

**AN: **Ah, I obviously made up Homura's background since we really know nothing about her and her parents. Neglective parents or being an orphan? I chose the former. Maybe in another story I will choose the latter.

And if you're wondering why she didn't dodge the cup of cocoa, well if it didn't happen the rest of the chapter wouldn't have continued; also, she was too busy drinking her own cocoa to notice. Speed means nothing when you aren't paying attention.

Questions? complaints? comments?


	6. beliefs

**T**he incessant ringing of her alarm has Madoka eventually relenting her hold on sleep and she slowly opens her eyes as the sunlight from the window streams into her room.

*beepbeepbeepbeepbeep*

With a groan she tries to sit up to turn off the sound but something around her waist keeps her in place and she looks down to see a pair of familiar black cat ears twitching and she vaguely wonders when they had gained a pet...and then she remembers last night and remembers that the owner of these said ears is mostly reacting to the loud noise.

Madoka somehow maneuvers even with Homura still holding her and stretches over and manages to hit the off button after the third attempt.

The room is awash in silence and Madoka sighs before she wriggles away from Homura's hold and sits up, stretching her arms above her.

The black head of hair, cat ears and all, burrows further beneath the blankets and Madoka lets a smile grace her lips; surprisingly, it seems like Homura is like her Mama and has troubles getting up in the morning as well.

Giggling to herself, Madoka moves off the bed, careful not to bump into Homura and steps onto the plush carpet of her room. She'll let her sleep a bit more and wake her after she gets her mother up.

As soon as the door closes, Homura emerges from under the sheets and shakes her head slightly before she runs her fingers through her hair to fix the mess of tangles. A few more run throughs and when she's satisfied her hair feels presentable, she flicks her hair behind her head and is then moving off the bed.

She heads towards her schoolbag, opening and then rummaging for that extra grief seed she stores inside a tin container. Once found, she summons her own soul gem and isn't surprised by the murky darkness that swirls around and overwhelms whatever purple light that used to be. It's not the worst she has seen of her soul gem—but it's obviously not the best and she gently places the grief seed next to it, watching as the seed absorbs whatever despair that she has accumulated just from last night. Her soul gem slowly returns to normal and is sparkling and shiny and looking brand new while the grief seed is darkened and pulsing with curses and broken dreams.

It's not completely full though and has at least one more light use to it.

Shaking her head, Homura returns her soul gem to its ring form and places the grief seed back into its special container before slipping it back into her school bag.

She retracts her cat ears and tail and glances over to the clock; she still has ten minutes or more until Madoka will return and decides to go back to sleep.

/

Homura feels like she's intruding on something as she brushes her teeth in the bathroom as Madoka and Junko do the same next to her. She's never had a relationship like this with her mother—or anyone, really, and wonders if other kids are this close to their parents as Madoka seems to be with hers(probably not).

The bathroom is so much more brighter during the day and it's not the first time Homura wonders why there needs to be so much empty space inside. Regardless, it fits the modern decor of the house and she does like how the walls are covered with numerous amount of projection screens (kind of like her own living room) that Junko fills with various programs from reflections outside the windows to showing stock market numbers and current events as she gets ready for work.

Homura catches sight of a screen that seems a bit different and she watches as an animated cartoon plays and figures that it must be for Madoka's little brother.

She's never really watched much TV even during her stay at the hospital, always preferring the stories hidden in written words instead and watches distractedly as a cartoon wolf chases around a mischievous rabbit. The wolf is hungry and wants to eat him, but the rabbit is too clever and continues to trick him into falling into his traps. She doesn't notice she has stopped brushing and is merely watching the cartoon with curious eyes.

She hopes the wolf eats the rabbit; he reminds her of Kyuubey.

Madoka has been chatting with her mother about various happenings at school and notices when Junko suddenly smiles in amusement and nods at something off to the side. Madoka turns and sees that one of Takkun's favourite cartoons has caught Homura's attention.

Surprising—but Madoka is learning everyday that Homura is full of surprises—both good and bad.

For Junko, it's the first time she's reminded that Homura is the same age as her daughter; almost fourteen and she already seems like an adult. Junko shakes her head and then starts washing her face.

"Ah! Homura-chan! The toothpaste!"

"ack-!"

Junko smiles to herself; kids like Homura needed to just be that—a kid. And if everything goes according to plan, that's exactly what Homura will be.

\\

It's been a while since Homura has sat down and eaten breakfast—and an even longer while since Homura has sat down and eaten breakfast with other people—but the food is good and the company is great and Homura wonders what kind of karmic catastrophe is going to befall her to give her a great memory such as this?

She stops eating slowly as she suddenly realizes: If this timeline ends up being _not the one_, it's going to be the last one regardless, because there's no way she's going to be able to handle falling from heights this high, not again. The good thing though, is that it's still fairly early; she can cut her losses now, before she's in too far and in too deep and still walk away (relatively) unharmed if everything goes south.

"Kitty!"

Homura's thoughts are interrupted as a small tomato sudden shoots towards her and she catches it with her quick reflexes.

"Safe!" Madoka says with a grin and Homura merely reaches over and places the tomato back onto Takkun's plate.

"Tomatoes are for eating, Takkun," Homura tells him and sits back down.

Takkun laughs and smiles at her and Homura's reminded how similar it sounds to Madoka's own.

They're good people—Madoka and Tomohisa and Junko and Takkun—if anyone deserves to have a happy life, it was them. So why—

Homura feels a hand cover her own and looks up to Madoka who merely gives her a kind smile and gently loosens the death grip Homura has on the fork in her right hand. Any harder and it would've twisted and bent in her hands.

(Justlikeeverythingelseshetouches.)

"A-ah, sorry," Homura apologizes, ducking her head and turning back to the food on her plate.

Tomohisa pretends nothing happened and glances at the clock. "Ah, Mama should be getting to the office soon," he says as Madoka checks out the time.

"Eh? But it's still early," Madoka responds in confusion.

Junko gives her a smile and finishes the rest of her coffee. "Mama needs to get some paperwork done since she's leaving work early today," she explains.

"Oh...uhmmm... are you meeting one of your friends or something?" Madoka knows her mom rarely leaves work early and finds it strange she didn't mention it at all before today.

"Actually," Junko tells her as she stands. "I want you to come home right after school, young lady."

"Eh!?" Madoka looks at her mom in shock. "D-Did I do something wrong, Mama?" and she can't help but look at Homura who's still searching for the meaning of life in her plate of eggs.

Junko laughs and shakes her head. "No, no, you're not in trouble, Madoka! I just want to see your cute face more than usual today," she responds and walks over to Tomohisa to give him a kiss before dropping one on Takkun's cheek as well. "And the same goes for you too, Homura."

At the mention of her name, Homura's head snaps up and she stares at her in surprise.

"Both of you, here, straight after school. No detours, no nothing, got it?" Junko tells them sternly and Madoka nods hesitantly while Homura doesn't move. "Make sure she comes, alright, Madoka?" Junko tells her daughter who nods again. "Good," and she holds out her hand and meets Madoka's own halfway, saying their partings with a high five. "Homura." Homura blinks as Junko holds out her hand.

"Like this, Homura-chan!" Madoka shows her and Homura stares blankly before she slowly raises her arm.

Junko sighs and readjusts the girl's hand position before bringing her own close. The clapping sound is weaker sounding than Madoka and Junko's and Junko merely winks at Homura.

"We'll work on that more later! Mama needs to leave now or I'll definitely be late!" and she's rushing out the door.

"Byebye!" Takkun shouts after her.

"Have a safe trip, Mama!" Madoka calls out and then turns to her dad expectantly.

He merely smiles at her mysteriously. "You'll find out when you come home. Now finish your food before you're late as well. Especially if you want to stop by the store to buy those tights for Homura-chan."

"Aww Papa!" but he's unrelenting and Madoka shares a look with Homura who seems equally confused before turning back to her food.

As Madoka chews her toast thoughtfully, she wonders why her mom wants both her and Homura back here, right after school.

Whatever it is, it has to be important enough for her mother to come home early from work.

\\

/Huh, so you two won't be going hunting tonight?/ Sayaka asks as she stifles a yawn.

/No, I'm really sorry, Mami-san, Sayaka-chan, but Mama wants me and Homura-chan for something and she didn't tell us what it was... but.../

/I understand, Kaname-san, since you aren't a magical girl yet there's no real obligation for you to go on these hunts anyways./

/...Maybe it'll be better for me to go after all. We didn't really hunt anything...yesterday and it'll be easier to work in teams than alone./

/Uhmmmm...but Homura-chan—/

/Eh, I wouldn't do that if I were you, transfer student. Mama Junko is reeeeally scary when she wants to be. Just go—I'll be there to protect Mami-san anyways!/

/.../

/Hey, are you trying to say something, transfer student?/

/Ahem, I believe Miki-san has the right idea however, Akemi-san. Considering how close you are to Kaname-san, I would be against the idea of being on her mother's bad side. Don't worry about me, I have handled this job safely by myself before I met you girls, after all./

/Hey! Don't forget I'll be there too, Mami-san!/

/...Yes, of course. And Miki-san will be accompanying me as well, just in case anything goes wrong./

/I'm really sorry about this!/

/...Just remember to be careful/

/Of course. Thank you./

\\

"...You wanted to see me?"

"Yes," Homura agrees as she turns around to acknowledge Sayaka. "Did anyone see you?"

They're on the roof now, empty since classes have ended for the day and most students are either heading home or participating in club activities.

Sayaka lets out a sigh and has to force herself from rubbing her forehead in frustration; really, something about the transfer student really bugs her though she can never figure out why.

"No, no one saw me."

"Are you sure?"

Sayaka grits her teeth in annoyance. "Yes. So if that's all you're going to ask me, I have places I need to be."

"Wait," Homura stops the girl who's one step closer to turning around and walking away. "I just needed to make sure. It's important that what I tell you is only heard by you and you alone."

Sayaka debates a moment before relenting and adopts a more relaxed pose. "Alright, so talk already. Don't you have somewhere to go as well?"

Homura nods. Madoka is waiting for her. "Yes, and the faster we get this over with the faster we can both leave."

"Sooo...?" Sayaka gestures impatiently, wanting the other girl to get it over with already.

A pause.

"Miki Sayaka, do you believe that your life is precious? That you care about your family? Your friends?"

The question catches her off-guard and she narrows her eyes at Homura's accusing voice. "What?" she spits out. "Of course I do!"

"Do you, really?" Homura asks her again and this time Sayaka steps closer to her in warning. Not at all worried, Homura presses on. "Because it never really seems like you do."

What the hell?

"What the hell?" Sayaka echoes her thoughts and this time she's right up in Homura's face. "You don't even know me! Acting all high and mighty! What? Just because you think you're Madoka's new best friend now you think you know all about me and that you can say whatever you want?!"

"I do know you, Miki Sayaka," Homura replies. "I know you more than you think."

"Oh yeah?" Sayaka places her hands on her hips and glares down at Homura who remains unaffected. "And what, exactly, do you know?"

"I know, that you're an idiot—" Homura easily ducks the fist swung at her and just as Sayaka tries to grab her, she's no longer there.

"W-what?" Sayaka whirls around and is surprised to see Homura a few feet away, cat ears and tail now visible. "Cheater," Sayaka mutters under her breath.

"I know that soon," Homura continues, hiding her cat ears and tail as though nothing had happened, "maybe today, maybe tomorrow, you will make a wish that will heal the hand of Kamijou Kyousuke; or more specifically you will wish that he will be able to play the violin again."

Sayaka straightens up, defiant. "What? And what's wrong with that?"

"And because you're an idiot, Miki Sayaka, you won't take into account that the rest of Kamijou Kyousuke's body is also going under rehabilitation and will benefit being healed as well."

Here, Sayaka pauses, because she hadn't thought of that. "W-well-"

"But more importantly, you will expect him to run into your arms because you were his hero—that is, you're the reason why he's healed and he should be grateful for that."

The anger surges through her again and she tightens her hands into fists. "W-What are you—"

"Do not deny it, Miki Sayaka—like I said, I know you," Homura says as she flicks her hair behind her which only makes Sayaka even more angry. "You believe in fairy tales, where the knights always save the princesses. In your case, Kamijou Kyousuke is the helpless princess trapped in the locked tower and you are the knight that will fight the dragon to save him. And by your beliefs, when the knight opens that door, the princess should be happy to see her because no one else was going to save him. Am I incorrect?"

There's a crash of doubt as Sayaka repeats Homura's words over and over. Calling Kyousuke a princess was kind of unsettling but her analogy is almost spot on even if Sayaka wants to deny it.

"N-No," and she does deny it. "I only want Kyousuke to be able to play the violin again—his talents, are being wasted! I can't stand the fact that the world won't be able to hear what he can do! All because of that stupid accident! If only it had been me! I would've traded places with him easily!"

"The amazing thing about wishes is that they can transcend simple things like space and time," Homura comments randomly and Sayaka gives her an annoyed look. "That is, to say, you can still wish to trade places with Kamijou Kyousuke and he'll have never been in the hospital in the first place."

"What?" Sayaka blinks.

"But then," and there's a faraway look in Homura's eyes as she stares into the distance, "there's also certain things you have to consider; even when you change certain events in a timeline, other things happen in its stead and in the end, _something_ will still happen whether you want it to or not." She turns to Sayaka and her eyes are as cold as her voice. "Do you understand really, what happens when you make a wish?"

"Eh?" The way Homura keeps changing subjects is making Sayaka's head hurt as she struggles to catch up. "S-sure, the wishes create a miracle, which grants the wisher the power to become a magical girl, right?" At least that's what Mami and Kyuubey had said.

"In a sense, yes," Homura agrees. "But what is the price?"

"Price?" Sayaka straightens up because she knows this. "We just have to fight witches!"

"But for how long?" Homura asks her. "And why?"

"Until they're all dead! And because they're bad!" What is wrong with this transfer student. She's a magical girl too, isn't she? Why is she asking all these—

"But—where do witches come from?"

"W-what? You were there! When Mami-san and Kyuubey were explaining the origins! Witches come from curses!"

"But—where do these curses come from?"

Here, Sayaka stops as she stares at the transfer student. "T-The witches... m-make curses.."

"But what is the source, Miki Sayaka? How do witches even exist if they need curses to exist before they can actually exist?"

"I-I don't know!" Sayaka says as something prickles in the back of her mind. There's the feeling of falling, and she remembers drowning in a sea of darkness. "W-Witches are born from...from..." her voice sounds strained and her legs are unsteady as something—_something_ passes through her. "Witches are born from d-despair..." she whispers as she collapses onto her knees and holds her head in frustration.

Her reaction surprises Homura. Perhaps, if she pushes her further...

"If you make your wish, and save Kyousuke but he doesn't run into your arms, what will you do?"

"W-what?"

"What if he doesn't like you, but likes someone else?"

"What are you—?"

"And, what if someone else, like a friend of yours, someone you'd think would never betray you, likes Kamijou Kyousuke as well?"

"N-No..."

"'Kyousuke is my friend and can only be mine,' is that what you're thinking?"

"S-shut up—"

"'After everything I've done for him, how can he not appreciate me? I buy him music to remind him of his talent—and visit him everyday to encourage him so of course he likes me best.'"

"S-Stop it!"

"You don't know though, if he likes you—but you assume that he reciprocates your feelings. And you can't think—don't want to think about what you will you do if he doesn't like you. That's why you can't confess to him."

"Shut up! You don't know anything! You're—you're just a stupid transfer student—"

"You assume that when you become a magical girl, all your problems will be solved; that everything will be perfect and amazing because you'll be a hero, saving the day, saving Kyousuke, and all you'll need to do is kill some witches and it'll be a done deal. Don't you wonder what the _real price_ of being a magical girl is? Why a thing such as a soul gem exists and more importantly what happens to a soul gem when a magical girl falls into despair?"

Sayaka turns to stare at Homura as a memory flashes through her mind.

"Our ...souls..." Sayaka repeats slowly. "and witches.. are born from..." her voice trails off.

"...Yes," Homura agrees.

"Why...are you telling me all this?" Sayaka croaks out.

"...Because I think you'll finally believe me this time."

"...this time?"

"Go home, Miki Sayaka," Homura tells her instead. "Go home and eat with your parents and look at your house and your life and think to how good you have it. Think how it would feel to lose it all—over someone who may or may not like you back. If you feel that everything you love and own is worth exchanging for a boy who will not appreciate your sacrifices, then I will not stop you from making your wish. And then ask yourself, do you really care about your family and friends if you can't even see how your own suffering will affect them as well."

Sayaka stares at the floor, eyes unfocused as she remembers—_things_—and she's only half aware when someone (Homura) helps her to her feet.

"Home," Homura urges her and Sayaka can only nod as she stumbles to the direction of the stairs. "Oh, and Miki Sayaka?" Sayaka stops walking. "I don't think I have to tell you not to mention this to Tomoe Mami or Kyuubey." Sayaka doesn't say anything but Homura knows she's listening. "There's a reason Tomoe Mami doesn't know—and you can now understand that Kyuubey can't be trusted. I'll deal with Madoka myself."

Sayaka turns back and Homura can see a spark of fire—threatening harm if anything comes to Madoka—in those listless eyes, and Homura's at least taking that as a good sign and then the tomboy is disappearing down the stairs.

The Miki Sayaka of the previous timeline, the one that had _almost been the one, _had proved to Homura that people can still change no matter how stubborn they are.

And Homura hopes that in this timeline, this Miki Sayaka can once again defy all odds against her once more.

\\

To say she's agitated would have been the understatement of the century.

What should've been a simple warning to Sayaka had suddenly warped into a cascade of words as pent up waves of resentment and regret washed over her because the girl never (NEVER) listened.

Even when Homura had been a different kind of Homura(weak), Sayaka had been quick to judge and quick to blame; always taking anyone's side except hers, because to Miki Sayaka, Akemi Homura was the representation of evil and she was the representation of good.

Black and white.

Good and right.

She hadn't meant to say so much either, but somehow the words wouldn't(couldn't) stop and then it was too late to take everything back and Homura hopes that it won't backfire and hurt her later on; she's still working on this timeline being _the one_ but she's still not sure at this point.

There's also a small part of Homura, the small, original part of her that still hasn't disappeared, that's feeling guilty for tossing the other girl straight into the fire, but what's done is done and Homura just saves her regret and locks it into another little box in her mind. When everything is done and over and Madoka is safe, Homura will slowly open every single one and face just exactly what she has become; but until then..

Dismissing the business with Sayaka, Homura instead concentrates on more pressing matters at the moment: the fact that Junko had pretty much stated that Homura needed to follow Madoka home, or else.

Or else what...? And why?

Homura has never had to deal with this before from Junko; usually it was a simple, 'You should visit more often, Homura!' or a 'Don't be a stranger, Homura!' never a 'I want to see you here after school young lady!' though that had been said more to Madoka than her, but still.

It seems related to the mess that happened yesterday (which is another thing Homura is regretting) and Homura wants to gather her face in her hands and weep until the tears run dry because it feels like she's going crazy with how unpredictable this timeline is starting to become.

She feels like her expectations of this timeline being _the one_ have fallen short and her control over her emotions is weakening because of these—stupid!—animal traits—and—she breaks off her thoughts there because she does not want to clean her soul gem again so soon.

Instead she takes a deep breath, focusing on the little things, like walking to Madoka's house, and shoves everything else into the back of her mind.

There's not much room left there and broken boxes tumble out as more are shoved in, but it's all she can do to get by.

Unfortunately, she knows it's just a matter of when, not if, when there's just too much pushed back and they all inevitably fall down.

/

Madoka keeps quiet as she follows after Homura who's leading the way to her house.

Something during those 20 minutes when Homura had disappeared had once again upset the normally stoic girl and if Madoka takes into consideration the shocked state she had seen of Sayaka earlier, well, it wasn't hard to put everything together.

Madoka doesn't know what had happened and she wonders why her two friends can't get along; even from the start Sayaka had distrusted Homura but Madoka has always been one to look past appearances and she's glad that she's seen beyond what everyone else has.

Glancing at Homura who's walking a few steps ahead, Madoka knows that the girl is thrumming with unspent emotion. She doesn't know how or why, but she can feel the waves of irritation rolling off her and wonders how she can help.

Maybe she can calm her somehow?

But, before Madoka can kick her body into gear, Homura takes a deep breath and then slowly exhales and there's a part of Madoka that aches when she sees that mask slip back into place within a matter of seconds.

Why does she do that...?

Nodding to herself, Madoka increases her pacing until she's close enough to Homura and reaches out to grab her hand. Homura blinks at her in surprise and then confusion as Madoka slips their palms close and intertwines their fingers.

"M-Madoka?" the mask that always breaks a little for Madoka has the smaller girl smiling.

"It'll be okay, Homura-chan," she tells her softly as she gives her hand a squeeze. "Whatever it is, it'll be okay."

Homura doesn't respond, but eventually she squeezes back and they continue to walk hand in hand in comfortable silence.

Halfway there, and they're back to the park that they had stopped by last evening. Instead of empty fields and dark shadows, the area is filled with families and laughing children and Madoka smiles as she watches kids Tatsuya's age run around carefree.

Though they're surrounded by people, no one pays the girls any attention and Homura stops walking as she looks across the park and into the distance. Madoka stops as well and waits.

"Madoka..."

"Yes, Homura-chan?"

"H-how..." she swallows hard and Madoka patiently lets her organize her thoughts. "How... do you know it'll be okay...?"

"Hmmm," Madoka looks thoughtful and then she smiles and walks forward, tugging Homura with her. "How can things not be okay, Homura-chan?" and she's gesturing to all around them: the laughing children, the smiling parents, the everything that is life and vibrant and alive. "Things may seem scary and bad at times, but as long as we can hope for a better tomorrow, as long as there's still that hope there, then in the end it'll all work out somehow."

Madoka knows it sounds naive and Homura knows it's naive. Hope? No one knows better than Homura just how long believing in hope can last. She's this close to falling apart at the seams and everyday it feels like she's grasping at straws for that Hope to one day save Madoka. Hope? Hope indeed.

As if sensing her thoughts, Madoka gives her another smile. "If you can't believe in hope, Homura-chan, you can believe in me instead."

Homura's eyes widen. Believe...in Madoka? That is something that resonates within her very soul but every timeline Madoka was always—

"Ehehe, Homura-chan, actually, can I tell you a secret?" Homura merely stares at her while Madoka continues smiling. "You know, even though I've only known you for a few days now, it feels like I've met you before."

Homura feels her heart thudding loudly in her chest. Could it really be...?

"Gentle and sweet Homura-chan," Madoka says softly, "who's actually kind of a crybaby but has been working very hard at burying everything deep in her heart and who's still working hard for something no matter how much it hurts."

There's the sound of laughter around them but Homura can only see Madoka in front of her and her hands are trembling—

"I know it's hard for you, so please, even if you can't believe in hope, I want you to believe in me, Homura-chan, because I have enough hope for the both of us and maybe a little more," Madoka says with a grin.

She was hoping to ease Homura's fears with her words, but suddenly Homura has her face in her hands and Madoka realizes that her shoulders are shaking and she's crying.

"Eh? H-Homura-chan!" and she's rushing forward, her so-called moment of coolness ruined by the broken girl in front of her. "W-What's wrong?"

But then Homura is tilting her head up and she's smiling—a real, genuine smile even as the tears continue to fall from her eyes.

"I want to believe in you, Madoka," Homura whispers softly and Madoka nods with a determined smile.

"Thank you, Homura-chan. It'll work out, somehow. I promis**e.**"

* * *

**AN**: I don't even know what I'm writing anymore. Thank you for the reviews though, those few people of you :)! I wouldn't know if people are even interested in this story otherwise. I'm also using less (), but more ; and remembering more words to use. I also hate describing things.

Thanks for reading.


	7. an offer she can't refuse

**T**hey arrive back at the Kaname house later than planned though Junko takes note of the way Homura's eyes are slightly swollen and red-rimmed and a nod from Madoka and she's quickly forgiving them; something had obviously happened.

"We're home, Mama!" Madoka tells her. "I'm sorry we're late." She doesn't bother making up a lie.

"It's alright, I'm sure you have your reasons. Welcome home you two," Junko replies. "I know you usually grab something after school, but do you think you can wait an hour or more before we get something to eat?"

"Sure, Mama!" Madoka nods and they turn to Homura who agrees quietly.

"Alright, good! Now, Madoka, go change your clothes so that you're wearing something that will show the world you're having fun spending the afternoon with your Mama! Maybe that new dress you bought last week?"

"Uhmmm.." Madoka glances at Homura and her mother makes a shooing gesture in her direction. "Alright, Mama. I'll be right back, Homura-chan," and she makes sure to squeeze Homura's hand before she heads off to her room.

Junko turns to Homura who's staring at the floor but flinches when she notices Junko looking at her.

"Now, now, Homura, I'm not going to bite!" Junko laughs and Homura merely tries to make herself seem smaller. "Ahh," Junko scratches her head; for some reason Homura seems even more scared of her today. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble or anything," she tells her gently. "Did you enjoy the lunch Tomohisa made today?"

"Uhm.. yes...it was very good," Homura mumbles softly.

"Good, good. Was it enough? I'm sure he packed as much inside as possible but if it wasn't enough I'll have him buy a larger bentou for you to bring next time."

Here, Homura finally glances up and her eyes are confused as she mulls over Junko's words. What does she mean by next time? Junko merely smiles and looks at her expectantly and Homura realizes she's waiting for her reply.

"Uhmmm..n-no, I mean," she fumbles over her words and fidgets with the sleeve of her jacket nervously. Ugh, what is wrong with her? She feels like she has been transported back to her original timeline. Shaking her head, she grasps at her frayed emotions and tries to piece together a semblance of calm and manages to somewhat succeed.

Junko quietly watches and lets the girl pick herself back together.

"It was... more than enough, thank you," Homura replies and Junko feels sad that someone so young has to learn how to hide her emotions like that.

"That's good. If you have any preferences or favourites just tell him! Tomohisa can make anything—he's like a personal chef!" Junko looks proud and Homura just stares at her.

Calmer now, she goes over Junko's choice of words. Perhaps she is going to have Tomohisa prepare her lunch from now on? That—has happened before and Homura is suddenly relieved; lunch from Tomohisa isn't a bad thing at all.

"All done, Mama!" They both turn to see Madoka as she emerges from the hallway and she's blushing as she fiddles with her dress nervously. "H-how is it?"

Madoka is now dressed in a one piece white dress that has a small pink bow in the front. There's another white ribbon in the middle that pulls and ruffles the fabric tighter around her waist, and then the rest of the skirt flares out and ends a bit above her knees. She also has on a pink cardigan on top and a silver bracelet on her left wrist.

Though surprised at how quickly Madoka had changed, Junko easily switches gears as she takes a moment to take in her daughter's appearance. There's a grin on her face and she nods in approval.

"Ooh! Look at my cute daughter! All those secret fans of yours will fall over trying to look at you!" Junko tells her and Madoka pouts at her mom.

"I don't have any secret fans, Mama!" and then she turns to Homura, feeling shy again. "Uhm...h-how do I look, Homura-chan?"

Homura feels the walls close in as she's put on the spot by a seemingly simple question. "U-Uhm..." she stammers and she can't help it as her cheeks redden. "Y-You look..fine, Madoka."

"O-oh?" Madoka sounds disappointed and Homura looks to Junko for help.

'Ahh' the older woman sighs at Homura's horrible choice of words; the girl really needs to work on her social skills.

"I'm sure she means that you look cute! Right, Homura?"

Homura nods in agreement, "Y-yes, Madoka, white suits you."

"Ehehe, I bet you're wondering why I'm not wearing a pink dress, huh?" Madoka teases Homura as she feels better about her clothes.

Here, Homura shakes her head and there's a small smile on her face. She's glad Madoka isn't wearing pink; pink would remind her of _that _outfit.

"No, I think it's good you're wearing white. It makes your eyes and hair stand out more," and she reaches over and fixes one of the ribbons in Madoka's hair that had become slightly loose, no doubt due to her haste in changing clothes.

Junko places a hand to her mouth to hide her smirk.

"A-ah, t-thanks, H-Homura-chan," Madoka feels her face blush up to the tip of her ears.

Junko decides to save her daughter and replaces her grin with a smile and claps her hands. "Alright! Now that Madoka is ready, it's time for us to continue onto the next part of our plans!"

Madoka is immediately relieved when Homura turns those deep lavender eyes to Junko and does the same.

"What's the next part of our plans, Mama?"

Junko smiles and gestures to Homura. "We're going to drop by Homura's place."

Any relief Homura felt earlier disappears as her stomach drops.

What?

/

Homura's silent in the car, staring out the window as she tries to remember if she has remembered to hide the things that she needed to hide in her apartment.

Madoka can sense Homura's trepidation, but Junko was and is still adamant about paying a visit and all Homura could do was program the address into the GPS and then they were on their way.

Once they reach one of the older districts where the houses are less modern and more old fashioned, Junko turns into the underground parking structure slated for the European styled apartments for where Homura lives. It's unsurprisingly empty considering the time and she parks the car at a fairly close spot.

As soon as the engine is off, Homura turns to Junko.

"U-Uhm, would it be alright—if, uhm," Homura looks slightly panicked and Junko looks at her and then suddenly there's a gleam in her eye and a smirk on her face.

"Ahh. I see," she says knowingly, and Madoka regards her mother curiously. "Mm, well it's perfectly natural for someone your age to have...things you want to hide. Don't be embarrassed; girls can like those things too."

"Hm?" Madoka seems confused but the implications slowly dawn on her and this time her face is blown out red. "M-Mama!"

Homura is no better off, but she can't worry about that because she needs to go hide those containers of gunpowder that she had been too lazy to put away the other day.

"You have ten minutes," Junko calls out to her teasingly and then Homura's tearing open the door and running out before her head can explode from embarrassment.

Junko merely laughs; she loves teasing kids that are going through puberty.

/

As soon as Homura is inside, she transforms into her magical outfit and starts packing all her random bomb making supplies in her shield as well as whatever else she had lying around that would scream 'international terrorist' if Junko ever saw them. She has been a bit lax with her organization lately, not that anyone can blame her, but she resolves to at least fix those bad habits of leaving spare guns lying around.

She also grabs her projection machine, stuffing it inside, just in case, and then she scours the apartment, making sure to double check that she has nothing else suspicious lying around.

When she's satisfied that nothing is out of place, she dissolves her magical costume, cat ears and all, and is back to wearing her school uniform.

Nodding to herself she decides to check once more in case she forgot something important.

/

"Well, think she's ready?" Junko asks as she looks at the watch on her wrist.

"M-Mama, do you really think..." Madoka is too embarrassed to finish the question and Junko grins before she slips her arms around her daughter's shoulder.

"Maybe you can ask her to show you later, Madoka."

"M-Mama!"

"Let's go see what Homura's apartment looks like," Junko merely says as she drags her blushing daughter towards the door with the nameplate that reads Akemi Homura.

\\

"Hmmmmmm, what do you think, Mama?"

"Hmmmmmm, what do you think, Madoka?"

Mother and daughter are exploring Homura's apartment, taking in the plain decor, the very sparsely furnished living room and the general feeling that this place felt like somewhere someone slept in and that was it.

In fact, the only thing that really told Madoka that Homura actually lives here, besides the nameplate, is the refrigerator that only has a container of milk inside and a cupboard full of cat food, both canned and dry.

As Madoka stares at the metal canisters, she has an awful thought but shakes her head because Homura wouldn't do that, would she...? And then Madoka thinks more on it and tries to not let out an exasperated sigh, because, no, it actually sounds like something Homura would do.

"It's pretty empty, Mama."

"Indeed, Madoka, it's pretty empty."

Homura tries to look unaffected as the two Kanames examine every nook and cranny, even opening the cabinets and the refrigerator; she's not sure what they're looking for but every second longer they're inside they seem more and more displeased.

Maybe she should've kept the large pendulum projection up...? And she hadn't had a chance to add in the extra chairs yet...

"Well, I guess it's too be expected," Junko states after giving it some thought. "You only started living here not that long ago so you're still in the process of settling in, right Homura?"

"Y-Yes.." Homura agrees and Madoka isn't at all convinced.

"Is this your room, Homura-chan?" Madoka asks instead and points to one of the two doors down a separate hallway.

Homura nods hesitantly.

"Alright!" Junko has that shine in her eyes as they approach the room. "I can understand the living room, Homura, but a girl's room is her life! What's inside says everything about her! Don't disappoint me! Tell me who you are, Akemi Homura!" and with a flourish she throws open the door and they peer inside.

In a way, Madoka and Junko aren't exactly disappointed at the plain room that has a lone bed with purple sheets, a small dresser and a small table inside.

"Ah..." Madoka scratches her head while Junko sighs in frustration.

"Wait! No, I won't be defeated!" Junko perks up as she notices the sliding door on one of the walls. "Even if her room is plain, a girl's clothes can still reveal it all! Let's go, Homuraaaaaaaa!" Just like before, she grabs the handle and enthusiastically slides the door open.

Madoka isn't at all surprised to see the closet mostly empty except for a dark green duffel bag, a cardboard box and an extra school uniform inside.

"Argh! No!" Junko turns towards the dresser. "I will not concede!"

And then Homura blushes as Junko opens all three drawers, finding only two sets of pajamas, a few packages of black tights and spare underwear.

"Homura," Junko turns and places her hands on the girl's shoulders who jumps at the sudden contact. "Please tell me you were going to eventually buy some clothes...?"

Homura fidgets under Junko's gaze and this time the woman can't hold back and screams in frustration.

"Madoka!" she snaps her fingers to her daughter who straightens up and salutes her.

"Your orders, sir?"

"Get that duffel bag in the closet!"

"Yes, sir, right away, sir!" She grabs the duffel (which she curiously notes that has a tag that reads property of JSDF on it) and holds it up to her mom. "Supplies retrieved, sir!"

"Alright, now take that uniform and then everything in that dresser and put it inside, stat!"

Here Madoka falters because—but then she takes a deep breath and nods. "Y-Yes sir!" She quickly packs away everything inside and turns back to her mother. "All done, sir!"

"At ease, soldier!" Junko says (and she's thoroughly amused at both Homura's and Madoka's blushing faces) but she turns back to Homura. "Alright, is there anything in this room that you would like to bring back with you?"

"Uhm..." Homura is stalling because it's slowly dawning on her exactly what Junko is doing. This has definitely never happened in any of her previous timelines and the thought makes her mouth dry and her hands sweaty; this isn't what's supposed to happen at all!

Sensing her hesitation, Junko does what she knows best.

"Homura!" The tone in Junko's voice is clear and Homura unconsciously stands to attention. "If you're done here, we can move onto the living room."

Homura nervously averts her eyes before she walks towards the only table in the room and opens the small drawer. They watch as she reaches inside and pulls out a set of dark purple ribbons and a pair of red framed glasses.

Just the sight of that almost familiar red has Madoka's eyes widening and she can't help but get that feeling once again as a small memory of a timid and shy Homura crosses her mind; it disappears just as sudden leaving Madoka with a sense of loss that she can't understand.

"Do you have a case for those?" Junko asks as she gestures to the glasses.

Homura shakes her head. "Uhm.. no, I lost them a while ago."

(_A long time ago_.)

"I have a case for my sunglasses in the car; I'll let you use that once we get back there," Junko nods. "Alright, is that it?"

Homura stares down at her familiar glasses that reminds her of _everything_ and she regains her bearings as she realizes she can't let Junko do this—Homura can't afford to be distracted, not now, not when she's supposed to be making sure that this timeline is _the one_.

She takes a deep breath and exhales slowly before facing Junko with steel eyes. "Junko-san, I really appreciate what you're trying to do but I'm-u-uhm..t-that—" her resolve slowly crumbles as the wrath of full mama bird Junko stares down at her; Madoka's sure that if Homura had her cat ears out they'd be completely flat against her head as a sign of submission.

"I guess we're done here," Junko states and Homura nods, keeping her eyes peeled to the floor. "Alright, time for the living room then. Let's go."  
Homura and Madoka obediently follow after her.

\\

As Homura exits the apartment building, she can't help but glance up at the rows of familiar windows that have always been another one of those constants throughout all her timelines and feels conflicted. On one hand, she knows she should be firm with Junko and refuse the offer. On the other hand, it's really hard to say no to Junko. Another part, that small, original part of Akemi Homura that's still alive, thinks that a change of scenery is a good thing; some place brighter and warmer might drive away those ghosts (literally and figuratively) that always haunts her at night...

"Homura-chan?" Madoka calls over to her and she chances one last glance above her before she's moving to catch up with Junko and Madoka who are lugging the few things from her apartment back to the car.

A sound stops Homura in her tracks and there's a weight on her shoulder as a grey cat headbutts Homura in the cheek.

"A-Amy."

"Meow."

"Well, I was held up—no, I wasn't deliberately—"

"Meow."

"No, something just—"

"Meow."

"Like I said, I had no time—Ow! Amy! You're being ridi—stop it!"

As Junko doubles back to grab Homura who isn't following them like she's supposed to, she stops when she's greeted with the sight of Homura trying to pull a little cat away from her.

"Ow ow ow! Stop it! I'm sorry!"

"Ah, is that the cat all the cat food is for?" Junko's voice is amused and Homura blushes at being caught unaware and Amy lets go of Homura's ear.

"Meow."

"Oh she's a little cutie isn't she?" Junko smiles as she steps closer and scratches Amy on the chin. "Kinda like her owner hm?"

"Meow."

Homura rubs at her ear and mutters something under her breath.

Junko can't help but laugh when she sees Amy turn her tail towards Homura and then jumps onto Junko's shoulder, as if offended by Homura's comment.

"Alright, now is that everything, Homura?"

Homura nods in agreement and follows Junko as she leads them to where Madoka is waiting.

\\

After a quick detour where they drop off Homura's belongings and place the milk into the refrigerator, they head out again and Amy is brought along in case Tomohisa and Tatsuya arrive home first. Junko drives them to a nearby sushi bar after seeing Homura perk up at the mention of raw fish.

Once they arrive, Junko parks and they emerge from the car before Junko turns to regard Homura about what they should do about Amy.

"She's an outdoor cat," Homura says and frowns slightly when Amy refuses to leave Madoka's arms. "Amy, you can't come in with us."

"Meowww." Amy tries to hide further in Madoka's arms.

"I know, but animals aren't allowed inside."

"Meow...meow."

"...I'm going to pretend you didn't say that."

"Meow. Meow."

And then the normally passive Homura places her hand around Amy's head, gripping it tightly but not enough to harm and she gives Amy a very forced smile. "...you'll wait outside, won't you, Amy?"

"..meow."

"Good."

Homura pretends like she was merely petting Amy and rubs the top of her head once more before removing her hand. Amy licks Madoka on the cheek before jumping out of her arms and onto the sidewalk. She then bounds away, climbing a nearby tree and lays down on one of the thicker branches for a nap.

"Shall we go?" Homura says as she flicks her hair behind her and walks towards the restaurant.

Junko and Madoka watch her for a bit and then Madoka turns to her mom and gives her a nervous smile.

"Ehehe, let's go in too, Mama. H-Homura-chan, wait for us!"

Junko hangs back as she sees Madoka run after her and eventually shrugs. It makes sense that Homura would have some strange quirks; she'd be more worried if she didn't.

Probably.

\\

When they're done and they exit the restaurant, they notice that Amy isn't in the tree anymore. In fact, she's nowhere in sight and though Madoka suggests they look for her, Homura merely shakes her head.

"She'll be fine," Homura reassures her. Amy isn't exactly her pet and they aren't always together anyways. School and witch hunting made sure of that.

"Hmmm," Junko and Madoka share a look. "Are you sure you shouldn't go after her, Homura?" Junko asks.

Homura waves off her concern and the three of them pile back into the car to head for the last stop of the day: Mitakihara Mall.

/

As soon as they step inside, Junko leads the girls expertly towards one of the shops that she knows will have clothes that will fit perfectly for someone with the body type and complexion that Homura has.

Junko is now in her element. A woman with a mission. They continue to plow through store to store as she and Madoka have fun choosing things for the quiet girl to wear; a girl who can only obediently humor them because she'll do anything that Madoka tells her and is unable to directly defy Junko.

In other words: mother and daughter have fun using Homura as their personal dress-up doll.

Homura can only think that the female Kanames are scary as they shove outfit after outfit at her and it's only once Homura has several bags full of clothes(all paid for by Junko though Homura insisted she pay and was promptly shot down) that they finally slow their pace and she can catch her breath as they take a break to get some drinks at the food court.

It's been a very long while since she's done something as simple as shopping and Homura feels that she'd rather fight a witch any day than follow Junko and Madoka to the mall ever again.

"Alright, we have enough time to drop by a couple more stores before we need to get back home for dinner," Junko tells Homura and Madoka as she starts gathering up their shopping bags off the floor.

"Okay, Mama," Madoka says as she stands as well and pushes her chair back under the table.

Homura takes the last sip of her milkshake before following after them.

"I can throw that away for you, Homura-chan, just put it on the tray."

"Thanks, Madoka."

Madoka discards the empty cups into a nearby waste bin and takes a few bags from Homura when she rejoins them.

"Is there any place you want to visit, Homura?" Junko asks as she leads them through the mall at a more leisurely pace.

Homura thinks for a bit but spots a nearby map kiosk and heads straight for it. She thumbs through the directory quickly but backtracks when a store name catches her eye.

"Hmmm?" Madoka notices when Homura slows down her browsing and recognizes the name of the store. "Oh! Pet Heaven? Did you want to get something for Amy?"

"A collar, and some snacks," Homura murmurs.

"Maybe a litter box and kitty litter too," Junko adds in and Homura looks at her. "I noticed you didn't have any in your apartment."

"Amy comes and goes as she pleases."

"Still, it'll still be good to pick some up, just in case," Junko tells her and Homura merely nods in agreement; she's learning that sometimes it's just better to do as told by Junko than to argue with her. "Oh, does Amy have her shots? If not, we need to get those done as soon as possible."

To her relief, Homura nods again. "She has most of the basic shots done, but has an appointment next week for another set."

"Good, good," Junko looks at her in approval. "Alright, let's go girls."

"Okay, Mama."

"Okay."

/

The three split up as soon as they enter the store. Junko and Madoka head towards the back where they can gush over the numerous pets displayed for sale while Homura goes on a search for those biscuits and a collar for Amy.

Pet Heaven, like all the other stores at the mall, is a pretty modern and spacious pet store with glass partitions separating the different sections inside. It's nothing like the small local pet shop that Homura usually frequents and when she enters the long aisle designated for cats, she's amazed at the amount of variety of snacks she can purchase; she should've come here a lot sooner.

She notices a section of collars and chooses a dark pink, almost red coloured one that has a little bell attached to it for Amy. Once that's done, she turns excited eyes towards the various boxes and bags filled with treats that cats love.

She painstakingly compares and contrasts the ingredients for every single snack, determining their health factor and taking into account which ones are labeled as recommended and finally has dropped to three choices when Madoka peers down the aisle and finds her.

She blinks as she notices Homura squatting in the middle of the aisle, shopping bags beside her and three smaller treat bags in front of her and looking very serious. Madoka smiles; it figures that Homura would be take something like buying snacks this seriously.

"Ho-mura-chan~" Madoka calls out to her when she's close enough and Homura peers up as she notices Madoka walking towards her.

"Madoka."

"Mm, Mama says we should head home after you're done buying what you need here," she tells her and Homura looks surprised. Had that much time passed?

"Ahh, I'm sorry Madoka, because of me you weren't able to do any shopping," Homura apologizes as she moves to stand, grabbing the pouches of snacks with her.

"No, no," Madoka waves her hands in front of her. "It's okay; I don't really have anything I need to buy and I had fun picking out clothes for you. Really."

Homura looks doubtful but she nods and Madoka moves closer to see what Homura is now holding.

"You can buy all three, if you'd like?" Madoka suggests but Homura shakes her head.

"It's too tempting..."

For Amy or for Homura, Madoka wonders.

"Mm, is there one you're especially leaning towards?"

"This one," Homura says as she holds out a blue bag, "oh, but...this one... is labeled as the number one recommended snack..."

Madoka can't help but giggle at how torn Homura actually looks at deciding which one to buy.

"Alright, since you can't decide, I'll show you what I usually do," Madoka says as she sets her own bags besides Homura's and takes the potential choices from her and lines them up on the shelf in front of them. "Okay, now close your eyes, Homura-chan."

"...?"

Madoka winks at her. "Trust me."

"A-Alright, Madoka." She closes her eyes.

"Okay, keep them closed!" Madoka waves her hands in front of Homura's eyes to make sure she's not watching and then she turns to the three bags and starts mixing them up. A few shuffles around and then she stops.

"Madoka?"

"Okay, Homura-chan—no! Don't open your eyes!"

"S-Sorry."

Madoka moves them again just in case. "Without opening your eyes, choose either the left, the middle, or the right one."

"M-Madoka—"

"Homura-chan~ which one do you choose?"

"U-uhm... the...the l-left...no! Wait! The middle...?"

"Only one choice! And you gotta decide with your gut feeling, Homura-chan!"

Further down the aisle, Junko, who came to find the girls and search for kitty litter, laughs to herself as she watches the two interact; the two really are cute together.

"O-Okay...then... t-the... left!" Homura says as she opens her eyes.

It's neither of the two choices that she showed Madoka earlier and is the one she had been close to putting down. She isn't happy with her choice but Madoka waggles her finger at her.

"Nope, you can't take it back," Madoka says as she hands Homura the red bag and puts the other two on their correct shelves. "Okay, now let's go find Mama and then we can—Oh! Mama, there you are." The two of them grab their bags and walk towards Junko.

"Are you two ready to go?" Junko asks with a smile as she chooses a box of generic kitty litter.

"Yup!" Madoka replies as Homura nods.

"Okay, let's pay for these and head home."

"Okay!"

\\

Once outside, the sky is now a transition of dusk to night as the sun is already disappearing behind the horizon. They head to the car, barely managing to stuff all the bags inside the trunk though it takes all three of their effort to get it closed.

"Whew!" Junko wipes her forehead in jest and then heads towards the driver's seat but stops when she notices that Homura is staring off into the distance.

"U-Uhm," Madoka glances at her mom but before Junko can suggest anything, Homura merely turns to the car and opens the door. "Homura-chan?"

Homura says nothing as she steps inside.

"Is everything okay?" Junko asks her and she nods as she closes the door.

"B-but—" Madoka knows that something is bothering her.

Junko shakes her head and Madoka sighs in frustration before she enters the car. She tries to ask Homura what's wrong but the girl remains tight-lipped and Madoka eventually gives up.

It's quiet on the ride back and Junko turns on the radio to fill in the silence instea**d.**

* * *

**AN:** As always thanks for reviews ! :) Uhm. As for Homura's cat traits, definitely purring but the kneading thing not so much (though I can just add that in somehow, doesn't really matter) Funny though, I really know nothing about cats but I do know milk isn't good for them and that they shouldn't eat that much fish but I'm just throwing in stereotypes of typical cat behaviors!? Maybe. But remember, Homura has cat traits but she's not really a cat... so milk doesn't affect her and stuff. I'm just making stuff up as I go along but trying to at least research a bit so things seem plausible. The story is progressing slowly and really, each chapter is longer but I just cut them into smaller pieces. Uh. Yeah, I think that's it.

Thanks again for reading


	8. red on white

**AN: **this fic is labeled T for a reason. I don't think this chapter really needs a warning. No complaints about things though since I don't think it's that bad anyways; just thought I'd let you know. Usual notes at the end, like always.

* * *

**T**here's a reason why the Kaname Household is so clean—and a reason why any guests that usual sleep over end up on the fold out sofa bed in the living room.

Despite the spacious interior of the house, most of the rooms are occupied and the one room that should've been an extra guest room had been converted into an office for Junko before her promotion and when she was required to take work home in order to meet certain deadlines. That's long since passed however, and now that office is an extra storage room filled with things that Tomohisa doesn't have the heart to throw away.

The only cluttered place in an otherwise meticulously clean house.

For the time being, Homura will share a room with Madoka until they can empty out the spare room and refurnish it to her liking; Junko's also hoping to ease her slowly into the household and she doesn't think Madoka minds anyways.

The two are quiet as Madoka clears out space in her closet and dresser for Homura's new clothes and they're halfway done when Madoka can no longer pretend that nothing is wrong and grabs Homura's hand, forcing her to look at her.

"What's wrong, Homura-chan? Is—" Madoka drops her voice lower, "is it a witch?" Homura's cat ears aren't visible, but Madoka still doesn't really know how that works.

Homura closes her eyes. A witch? Maybe. But it was more than that—it was this sense of foreboding that she had; the usual feeling she gets when something goes wrong during one of her timelines.

"Amy..." Homura feels her heart clench suddenly. Amy is another one of those constants that helps tie Homura down to her sanity; she doesn't know what will happen if something happens to her.

"Did something happen to Amy?" Madoka stares at her in worry.

"I-I need to find her," Homura states dizzily. She just bought Amy a collar and she still needed to let her try the new treats; she had promised her that she would reward her for walking Madoka home the other day.

"I'll help you look for her! Maybe she went back to your apartment? Did you tell her that you were going to live here now?"

Homura thinks back and realizes that she hadn't told her. She had been too mad at what Amy had said, and then hadn't had a chance to tell her since she was already gone by the time they were done eating.

"I-I'm going to go check," Homura says as she looks at the clock. It's close to eight now and she sometimes has dinner with Amy before she goes witch hunting, so it was possible she was there.

"I'll come with you!" Madoka tells her and Homura knows she's not going to take no for an answer so she doesn't bother saying anything.

They exit the room and Madoka zeroes in on her mother who is on the couch and playing with Takkun as Tomohisa puts the finishing touches on dinner.

"Mama! We're going to go look for Amy—she's probably at Homura's house waiting for her."

Junko glances at the time; dinner is soon but it doesn't seem like this is something that can wait.

"Ahh, alright, I'll drive you there," Junko says as she puts the toy car down and Tatsuya pouts at her.

"Mama! Let's play!"

"Mama will be right back, Takkun! I just have to drive Madoka and Homura somewhere really fast. Be a good boy for Mama, okay?"

"A-Actually I think it's better if I just walk there," Homura tells her and Junko straightens up with a frown. "Amy doesn't really like riding in the car. And we might find her along the way," Homura explains and Junko thinks about it.

"Please, Mama?" Madoka begs and Junko sighs.

"Alright, but whether or not you find her, please call me within an hour and I will come to pick you two up, alright?"

"Thanks, Mama!" Madoka hugs her mom and Homura mumbles her thanks before the two are racing out the door.

"Mama!" Takkun tugs at his mom's sleeve and she sits back down and throws her arms around him. "Kitty!"

"Yeah, Takkun, they're going to bring the kitty back home," she agrees.

"Kitty!" he repeats.

/

"H-Homura-chan! W-Wait!" Madoka tries her best to keep up with Homura but the other girl is augmented with magic and easily outpaces her. There's a desperation Madoka feels as she struggles to reach out to the girl who's running further and further away and finally she can't continue and she stops short.

She coughs, placing her hands on her knees and feels tears in her eyes as she hates herself for being so weak and slow.

"Madoka, are you alright?" A familiar voice calls out to her and she looks up in shock to see Homura standing in front of her. She had heard; she had come back.

"H-Homura-chan?"

"I'm sorry, I forgot you wouldn't be able to keep up," Homura apologizes. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah!" Madoka says as she hurriedly wipes at her eyes. "I'm sorry, Homura-chan, I said I'd help you find Amy but I'm just slowing you down."

"It's alright," Homura tells her. She then moves forward and slips one arm under Madoka's knees and another around her shoulders and Madoka feels her world tilt as Homura lifts her off her feet and easily carries her. "Hold on," she warns her and Madoka wraps her arms around Homura's neck even as her cheeks flush as pink as her hair; she thinks she'll never get used to this. "It's dark enough that I can use the shadows to my advantage," is all Homura says before she jumps high up and uses a nearby wall as a platform before launching herself even higher and then landing with light steps on the roof of a nearby house.

"H-Homura-chan!" Madoka squeaks out as she feels the wind against her face. "W-Won't they see us?"

"No, they shouldn't be able to," is her answer and Madoka realizes that at some point, Homura had transformed and for some reason the scenery around them has become black and white.

"Eh?"

"This is my real power," Homura murmurs to her as they soar through the washed out sky. "I can stop time for a little bit and anyone I touch will continue to move as long as I don't let go."

"T-Time...?" Why did that sound so familiar...

Just as sudden, there's the sound of the unwinding of a clock and the world returns to normal as Homura lands on top of another random roof. Madoka can feel an electric pulse run through them and she gasps.

"W-What was that?"

Homura's surprised it had affected Madoka but she stares off to the distance.

"A witch's barrier."

And there was that feeling again, stronger than ever.

Amy is probably in there, somehow. Will she make it in time? Or is she already too late?

Madoka's hand gripping her shirt interrupts her thoughts and she suddenly remembers: if she can't believe in hope, she can believe in Madoka.

"We'll save Amy, right Madoka?" Homura asks as she leaps closer to the barrier.

Though her hands are trembling, she steadies them and nods even though Homura can't see her.

"Yeah, of course we will, Homura-chan. Of course we will."

/

As Tomoe Mami patrols the streets of Mitakihara with Kyuubey, she finds herself lost in her thoughts as she thinks to yesterday's events (with a shudder) and to her new allies that she has more or less gained overnight.

After the accident, it had always been Mami and Kyuubey, and then Mami and... someone else and Kyuubey, and then back to Mami and Kyuubey again.

And then suddenly it was Mami and Kyuubey and Homura and Sayaka and Madoka and suddenly the world was brighter again.

It's not the first time she recalls what would have happened if Homura hadn't been there and she draws her arms closer to her body, as if fighting off the cold even though she had her barrier of magic protecting her from the simple elements.

/Is something the matter, Mami?/

Mami smiles lightly to the white creature resting on her shoulders. He's not warm or anything, but his mere presence is comforting, like always.

/Nothing, I was just thinking about Akemi-san and the others. That's all/

/It's too bad Sayaka couldn't join you tonight/

Mami frowns as she's reminded of the very short text message sent from the other girl but shakes off her disappointment; like she had told Madoka earlier, Sayaka wasn't obligated to hunt witches either since she hadn't yet contracted as well. Plus, maybe it was for the best...

/That's alright, I have you with me, Kyuubey/

/Yes, but I won't be able to help you if something happens like yesterday Mami/

Mami visibly shudders as a nearby reflection of metal has her recalling the sharp metal teeth that had almost ended her life.

/I was...distracted, but it won't happen again/

There's no way Mami could live with herself if she made her juniors cry again (though thinking about the tears Madoka and Sayaka had shed for her had made her feel happier than it should have.)

/Still, it wouldn't hurt to have more magical girls around. Especially Kaname Madoka. Her potential is immeasurable/

Mami thinks about Madoka and to what Kyuubey has told her about her becoming an amazing magical girl. It doesn't make sense to Mami though, since as far as she can see, Madoka is a normal, happy girl with a good family and no real problems whatsoever.

In fact, the girl has no real reason to make a wish; she is content with her life and Mami can respect that.

Which is why, especially with what had happened yesterday, Mami feels that perhaps it's better to not have regular, normal girls like Madoka or Sayaka involved, at least with things like patrolling. Yes, it meant she wouldn't be able to hunt witches with them, but Homura is more than capable enough and since the other two know all about magic, she can still be herself around them without having them think she was rude for cancelling plans or ungrateful when she had to suddenly leave in the middle of a movie.

She can still have friends and still have someone who will fight with her; the best of both worlds. She worries though that they're maybe in too deep and they might end up contracting anyways... especially Sayaka.

/Mami!/

Mami pulls herself from her thoughts to concentrate on the task at hand: her soul gem is shining brighter, signaling that they're getting closer to a witch.

/Hmm. Interesting, I'm also detecting two human signatures nearby. Considering their levels, one of them is Akemi Homura, and the other is Kaname Madoka/

Mami concentrates and she too can somewhat feel another magical girl signature a bit away. Recalling their earlier conversation at school and the empty inbox on her phone, there hasn't been a change of plans and as far as she knows, Madoka and Homura should be home, or at least some place safe. Something must have happened.

She picks up her pace.

/Let's go, Kyuubey!/

/Sure, Mami!/

\

There's only a handful of things that can phase the normally stoic Homura and most these things usually centered around Madoka.

Which means that Amy is automatically placed into that same category since saving Amy was Madoka's first wish and she had promised Madoka she'd look after Amy back in their original timeline. Now, after every reset, Homura always makes sure to check on Amy so that Madoka won't make a contract to save the cat's life.

It's a given then, that she grows rather fond of Amy who doesn't care what Homura tells her, as long as she provides her with food and shelter. Amy doesn't call Homura a liar when she tells her about her past; Amy trusts her and lets her pet her even though her hands are forever dirty and her mind is broken beyond repair.

Amy is, and will always be Amy.

This timeline and the previous has been different though; with her additional powers, she has been able to communicate with Amy and their sudden understanding brings them even closer and through it all, Amy is still Amy.

So it's no wonder then, that when they enter the barrier and eventually Homura spots the black cat surrounded by an alarming amount of familiars, her entire world stops and her pulse sky rockets as she internally panics.

She places Madoka down and glances to the smaller girl; she'll have to leave Madoka alone in order to save Amy.

She should've left her outside, or better yet, at home.

Why couldn't she say no to this girl?

She clamps her hand on Madoka's shoulder and concentrates as the girl looks up at her.

"Homura-chan?"

There's a sudden glow around them and Madoka's eyes widen as she notices that Homura is now dressed in a black collared shirt and blinks when she feels something warm surrounding her—

"Eh?" she stares in wonder as she notices she's now wearing the outer jacket to Homura's magical girl costume.

"It'll provide you with some protection—" Homura's eyes narrow when the familiars notice the spike in magic and turn to them, "—and will enable me to focus my magic on you even if I'm not right by you. Please trust me, Madoka. I will protect you—and I will save Amy."

She crouches low and then before Madoka can reply, she's gone and the familiars are rushing forward to intercept her.

/

As Mami crashes through the barrier, guns drawn and wisps of magical energy from her transformation disappearing, she takes in the scene around her with the skill of an experienced marksman in three seconds.

One: Madoka is off to the side, sitting on the floor and eyes wide as something careens towards her.

Two: Homura is clutching something in her right arm as three familiars surround her and the building sized witch towers over her as she expertly dodges the dark tendrils threatening to pierce her.

Three: there's a fourth familiar that Homura has noticed that is barreling towards Madoka and as she reaches for her shield, whatever she had been expecting to happen, didn't, as a fifth familiar catches the girl by the leg.

Mami already has the trigger pulled, aiming to kill the two familiars and the one trying to attack Madoka disappears but she's too late for the other one and Homura stumbles as something trips her; it's not enough to cause her to fall, but it's _enough_ and even as Mami summons more rifles, she can only watch as one of the dark tendrils veer suddenly and rips through Homura's defenses and there's a shower of dark liquid as a fist sized hole is punched through Homura's side.

"HOMURA-CHAN!"

Mami fires, easily killing the additional familiars appearing around them and rushes forward, eyes still watching as the momentum from the dark tendril sends Homura sailing in an arch and there's a sickening thud as she lands harshly onto the floor, only a few feet away from where Madoka is.

"NO! NO!"

Madoka stands to rush to Homura's side and more familiars appear and have the same idea as they move to ambush the downed magical girl.

Mami won't have any of it though and as a well-aimed magical bullet whizzes past Madoka's face, she finally notices that Mami is there.

"Mami-san!"

"Please stay calm, Kaname-san," Mami tells her as she draws up a line of rifles around her. "Akemi-san should be okay; I need to take care of this and then I will help her!" And then she can't talk anymore because she's too busy killing and seeking revenge.

"Homura-chan..." Madoka's hands are shaking as she's watching the blood continue to drain from Homura's body. "No...please...stop..." She brings her hands to the open wound and tries to stem the flow of blood like what her training had taught her—but they never mentioned what to do when there's a giant gaping hole and it's not working and she's openly sobbing as she notices how still Homura's cat ears are and the shallow breathing of her breath. "No..." She grips Homura's shirt, vaguely noting that Homura is now wearing her school uniform and that the warmth surrounding her from Homura's jacket is gone. She places her head on Homura's chest and sobs. "O-Open your eyes, Homura-chan...please..."

/This is bad, Madoka! She's losing a lot of blood but you can save her! Just make a wish!/

Madoka raises her head and her eyes pierce through Kyuubey's own.

"Wish...?"

/You can wish to save her!/

Her eyes widen. She can still save Homura.

"I," she swallows hard and wipes her tears away with the only clean part on the back of her hands. "I wish tha—"

A hand around her wrist stops her and she turns to see Homura's arm raised and her head slightly tilted and lavender eyes staring at her.

"H-Homura-chan!" Madoka immediately takes the girl's hand in her own, ignoring the red that she smears on pale white skin.

/Madoka, you need to make a wish now before—/

"I'm fine," Homura says, voice sounding surprisingly strong as she glares at Kyuubey. "She doesn't need to make a wish, I'm fine."

"No! How can you say you're f-fine! When you—that—!"

"Kaname-san," a calm voice pulls her from her thoughts as a warm hand is placed on her shoulder. "Please, calm down," Mami tells her as she kneels next to her to examine Homura's injury.

"Calm down? CALM DOWN? HOW CAN YOU TELL ME TO CALM DOWN?"

"Please," Mami insists and she holds one finger to her lips while she points above them.

Expecting to see the warped world of the witch's barrier, Madoka instead sees the brick walls of buildings surrounding them and a half moon peeking out in the sky. They're back, in the real world. Mami had defeated the witch and the barrier was already disappearing.

"We're lucky the barrier was in an alleyway, but please keep your voice down, Kaname-san," Mami says calmly even as she places shaking hands to Homura's open wound. "I'm going to heal her now."

Madoka stares at her in shock. "Y-You can save her?"

Mami nods before she concentrates on her own magic, sending it through her hands to Homura's body and tries to rebuild the flesh and the blood that Homura had lost earlier. There's resistance as Homura's own magic fights against hers and she grits her teeth as she tries to push through.

She barely manages to heal it only a little before she pulls away and is breathing hard at the exertion. She had poured a lot of magic into that but it felt like she hadn't made a dent at all.

"Mami-san?" Madoka is watching her, wide-eyed and Mami wipes the sweat from her brow with her sleeve and shakes her head.

"S-something's wrong. I can't heal her properly. I don't understand—it's worked before."

Having finally completely distanced her soul gem from the pain in her physical body, Homura struggles to sit up and both girls gasp at Homura's movement.

"Stop, Homura-chan!"

"Akemi-san, please, you need to lie back down while I figure this out."

Homura sighs and lets them push her back and instead shifts her right arm and gestures to Mami, completely ignoring her own wound.

"Please, can you heal her?" Amy is nestled in the crook of her arm, no doubt what Homura had been holding earlier.

Noting the look on Homura's face, Mami nods. "I-I will try."

Mami takes the unconscious cat in her arms, wincing at the giant gash on her side. She places her hand above the wound and like earlier, pushes her own magic into Amy's body and is relieved when she easily bypasses a very weak barrier before rebuilding and healing the wounds in and out of Amy.

"...meow," the cat's eyes flutter open and as Mami moves her hand away, Amy licks her as if in thanks and Mami sets her onto the floor.

"It worked," Mami states in wonder and watches as Amy bounds over to Homura and gently headbutts her cheek.

"Meow."

"I'm glad you're okay Amy."

"Meow."

"Mami-san," Madoka turns to Mami for instructions and Mami can see the fear in her eyes.

"I don't understand why my magic isn't working—it's healing, but it's really slow."

Madoka nods; she understands. She needs to make a wish.

As if sensing her thoughts, Homura turns to Mami. "Tomoe Mami, do you have any grief seeds on you?"

"Ahh, I have the one the witch dropped earlier and another one at home. Do you need it, Akemi-san?" Mami asks as she reaches in her pocket to pull out the new grief seed.

"Not yet, I have extras and they might be enough but..." Mami nods in understanding. Homura looks at Madoka. "Madoka? Can you promise me something?"

"W-What, Homura-chan?" Madoka is afraid that Homura's going to ask her to take care of Amy, in case—

"Please, promise me you'll never make a contract."

"W-Wha—"

"Please." She's pleading now and they can both hear the desperation in her voice. "M-Madoka, please promise me. Please."

"I-I—"

"Please," she whispers again.

It sounds like a death wish.

Madoka closes her eyes as she feels tears gather. "I promise," she chokes out.

"Thank you," Homura sounds relieved as she sighs. "Okay, I'm going to try and heal myself."

"A-Alright, Akemi-san," Mami replies and Madoka can only stare.

Homura concentrates and pieces back together the mental links between the soul gem and her body and can't help but groan as the physical pain hits her all at once. "Ow," she gasps out and Amy is there licking her cheek in comfort.

"Homura-chan..."

She changes her ring into her soul gem and they can see that there's dark spots lingering in the murky purple.

Unlike Mami, who could focus her magic into her hands and heal without the straight use of her soul gem, Homura instead holds her soul gem to her wound, careful to keep her hands away from the blood and slowly concentrates. It's a long process with very little gain and she only has 20% of the hole repaired when she flops back down and struggles to catch her breath. It's still better than what Mami had done and the older girl wonders if Homura is naturally resistant to other magic.

Just as Homura moves to summon her shield to get her spare grief seeds, Mami steps in.

"Let me," Mami murmurs almost distractedly as she gently places the grief seed gained from the previous witch next to Homura's soul gem.

It's the first time Madoka witnesses the cleansing of a soul gem and she watches with morbid fascination as the grey seed turns dark black and Homura's soul gem turns back to a light purple.

Before the soul gem is completely clean though, Mami pulls the seed away and hands it over to Kyuubey who opens a compartment in his back and stores it away.

"I-It's not done though?" Madoka is confused but Mami shakes her head.

"The weaker the witch, the less it can absorb from a soul gem. Unfortunately, the one we fought was strong, but not strong enough to completely clean Akemi-san's soul gem. Anymore and the witch will hatch once more."

/That much won't heal her completely either/ Kyuubey interrupts as he watches as Homura continues to her task. /Your magical powers seem more and more disadvantageous, Akemi Homura. Physical manifestation of your magic grants you greater agility and more sensitivity to detecting magic but at the same time, the physical manifestations affect your mental state as well as creating more resistance between you and defensive magic. This is why I told you to make a wish, Kaname Madoka. She'll need to use a numerous amount of grief seeds to heal an injury that size; a waste if you ask me. It'll be more efficient to gain another magical girl who can help destroy more witches and gather more grief seeds in the long run/

Homura grits her teeth, trying to ignore Kyuubey's words and Amy hisses at him in her stead.

Madoka blinks in shock. "W-what—" Kyuubey thought that using grief seeds to save a life was a waste...?

"Kyuubey, please, can you leave us alone for now?" The disapproving voice that Mami has stops Homura from healing briefly and she raises her head to look at Mami's face; she's never really heard the older girl use that tone to Kyuubey before.

She's not disappointed.

The blonde is frowning at Kyuubey, not at all giving him her usual bright smile and Homura stares, distracted, until a soft paw is on her cheek and Amy is meowing at her, reminding her that she's still bleeding out, though not as much as before.

She continues to rebuild her flesh with great difficulty.

"Ah," she stops when her gem has darkened considerably and Mami notes with concern how little purple spots are left; Homura's wound is now less than 50% healed.

"I have more in my shield," Homura says as struggles to sit up and this time Madoka and Mami help her as they ignore the fact that they can now see and feel that her clothes are soaked with blood.

Homura transforms and Madoka is at least glad to see her magical costume is back to normal and clean, but swallows when she sees the building of a red spot on Homura's side.

Homura reaches inside her shield, pulling out a small tin container and opening it to retrieve a grief seed. She cleans her soul gem with it and Madoka feels her stomach knot when she sees the purple is still very murky looking when the grief seed is pulled away. Unaffected, Homura takes out another one and this one cleans her gem completely.

She easily burns through the rest of her stock of grief seeds and by the time her wound is healed, her soul gem is once again filled with black spots. Not at all bothered that Kyuubey has disappeared somewhere, Homura places the spent seeds back into the container and then stuffs it back in her shield.

Madoka lifts her shirt despite her protests and she looks at the pink flesh that has replaced the bleeding hole and throws her arms around Homura's neck crying in relief.

"Thank goodness, Homura-chan," Madoka's tears soak her shirt but she's use to it now. She hisses suddenly when Madoka leans on her now healed wound; it will still be sensitive for another day or two. "Ah! Sorry, does it hurt?"

"Just a little," Homura lies and Madoka moves so that she's not leaning on her side.

"Ahem," Mami clears her throat. "Now that the worse is behind us, I believe we should get out of here and clean up."

They look at each other, noting that Homura's newly transformed shirt has a huge circle of blood and that the concrete under her has absorbed an  
insurmountable amount of blood. Mami has blood on her own clothes, but since she kept her transformation up it'll disappear once she summons her clothes again. The worst off is Madoka though, who is still wearing her white dress from earlier; her hands are covered and her dress is smeared with dark maroon.

Things that horror movies are made of.

Mami reverts back to her clean school uniform though her hands are still dirty. She takes off her jacket, handing that off to Madoka so she can try and hide the blood stains somehow and Homura creates a new magical jacket to replace her old one; they decide it's better to have her with her ears showing than clothed in literally blood soaked clothes. If Homura hadn't been so tired, she would've lent Madoka her own white jacket since it was a little longer than Mami's but seeing as she could barely keep her eyes open, the smaller girl has to settle for the beige jacket that still doesn't cover her dress all the way.

"Ready?" Mami asks as she and Madoka help Homura stand up on wobbly legs.

"W-What about..." Madoka glances down at the visible darkened stain on the ground and swallows heavily.

"...this area is secluded enough that it will take a few days for anyone to discover it," Mami murmurs softly. "At most someone will be sent to investigate but it will most likely be written off as... something happening to a stray animal."

Madoka doesn't want to know how Mami knows this.

With Homura in the middle and Madoka and Mami supporting her at her sides, the three of them head towards Mami's apartment as Amy rides on Homura's shoulder.

As they walk, Madoka feels like she's forgetting to do something.

\

It's a very slow process as they have to avoid the main streets and keep towards the shadows due to Homura's ears and tail as well as Madoka's alarming state of appearance. It doesn't help that Homura is also falling asleep on her feet.

If Mami's soul gem wasn't already so dark, she could've used magic and easily carried Homura alone, but since Homura had needed the grief seed more, she had used it on her and will have to wait until she gets back to clean her gem as well as Homura's if possible.

Homura stumbles once more and Mami and Madoka steady her on feet.

"Hmmm, this won't do, it's taking too long," Mami says as she glances to Homura who's nodding off though her ears twitch in acknowledgement.

"What should we do, Mami-san?" Madoka asks as she shifts uncomfortably; Homura is light but she's getting tired and when her stomach growls, she blushes, remembering that they haven't had dinner yet. She doesn't even know if she can even eat though...

Mami looks around to where they're at now and brightens when she realizes that just down the street, there's public restrooms meaning there are vending machines nearby. It's late enough and it's a quiet neighborhood so they shouldn't run into many people at all here.

"Alright, you two stay here while I go wash up and then get us some refreshments; maybe it'll help Akemi-san wake up."

"Okay," and Mami helps Madoka bring Homura over to sit on the ledge of one of the large flower planters scattered around the city. Homura leans against the smaller girl and Mami heads to the bathroom.

"Meow," Amy jumps into Madoka's lap and settles down for a quick nap.

"Me too, Amy. Me too," Madoka agrees as she pets Amy fondly and giggles softly when Homura nuzzles her face against Madoka's neck, purring lightly; the other girl is definitely falling asleep now.

Just as Madoka feels her own eyes drooping, a familiar ring tone echoes around them and she wakes up immediately.

She forgot to call her mom back.

/

When Mami returns with drinks and a few wet paper towels for Madoka to clean up with, she's greeted by a very panicked looking Madoka sitting by a Homura that is looking a lot more alert.

"Kaname-san? What's wrong?" Mami asks as she hands her the papers before giving Homura a box of strawberry milk who accepts it with suddenly perked ears.

"I-I was supposed to call my mom back—like ten minutes ago," Madoka explains as she takes the towels and starts wiping her hands. "Thank you, Mami-san, but what should I do? I'm horrible at lying to my mom! And she's already called five times already!"

"Hmm, that is a problem," Mami agrees as she takes a seat besides Madoka.

"It's alright, Madoka," Homura interrupts as she finishes her drink. "Lend me your phone."

"Mm," Madoka blinks and passes it over to Homura as Mami hands her a cup of tea. "Thanks, Mami-san..."

Homura quickly finds Junko's number and dials it.

"Madoka! Tell me where you are at right now so I can go over there and pick you up to yell at you at home!"

Madoka winces as she hears her mother's voice through the speaker.

"Hello? Junko-san?"

"Homura? Where's Madoka, is something wrong?"

"No, I apologize for not answering your phone call earlier—we were crossing the Ueno overpass and we didn't hear Madoka's phone ringing due to the sound of traffic."

"I...see. And where is Madoka right now?"

"She is here, sitting next to me but was too scared to call you back so I offered instead."

"Alright. And why exactly did you cross through Ueno? Your house is in the opposite direction."

"I'm sorry, it's my fault. We already checked my house and Amy wasn't there and there was one more place I wanted to visit where Amy frequents. I assumed we would be able to get back in time but we had to take a detour due to construction."

"Hmm, alright. So where exactly are you heading? Tell me the address; I will pick up you girls there."

Homura looks at Mami in question who nods in permission and Homura gives her the address.

"Alright, I need to help put Takkun to bed but I will come get you girls as soon as I'm done with that. Stay put."

"Yes, thank you, Junko-san."

*click*

Madoka sighs in relief. "Thanks, Homura-chan."

Homura nods and gives her back her phone. "We still need to do something about our clothes..."

"We should hurry back," Mami says as she finishes her drink.

Madoka stares at her still almost full cup in wonder; how did they both drink so quickly?

/

With Homura awake to support herself, they make their way back to Mami's apartment without further complications.

As soon as they're inside, Mami turns to the other two girls.

"Alright, now let's see what we can do about your dress, Kaname-san. Akemi-san, you should de-transform now so we can evaluate your uniform as well."

Homura does as told and Madoka's stomach lurches as she's reminded of Homura's previous injury as they take in the now dark-brown colour of their school jacket instead of the normal beige. Madoka has no doubts that everything under that is ruined as well and is just glad the skirt is dark enough to hide any staining.

"...It'll probably be better to throw your whole outfit away, Akemi-san," Mami says instead.

Homura nods in agreement as her nose scrunches up at the strong smell of blood.

"We might be able to salvage your dress, Kaname-san," Mami says as she examines the fabric.

"Will we have enough time?" Madoka asks worriedly as she tries to not look at Homura and her clothes.

"A little elbow grease should do wonders," Mami tells her with a wink. "Come on, let's get you something to wear while I try and wash this. Akemi-san... you can borrow my shower."

"Meow."

"...yes, Amy, I know..."

/

"...so you know, I'm not mad, I just would like it if you would tell me if you change your plans. And to remember when to call me when I tell you to."

"Yes, I know Mama," Madoka bows her head.

"Ahh, it's too bad about your dress though. I think you should stop drinking hot cocoa, Madoka." Junko then turns to other person in the room  
who looks even smaller dressed in clothes that are too big for her; apparently her clothes had once again been attacked by Madoka's clumsiness and were still being washed at this 'Tomoe Mami's' place when Junko had arrived to pick them up. Rather than have them wait, Mami had told them she would hand them back tomorrow at school and since Homura has an extra uniform at home, Junko had felt no obligations to stay.

She had wondered about the blonde's parents though and makes a mental note to ask Madoka about Mami later.

"Homura," the dark-haired girl looks up sleepily. Poor thing is probably tired from all the fun they had today. "I know you're used to... things being different, but there are rules to living here. It'll take some time, but you'll find out that having rules in the long run will help make you become a better adult in the end. Don't worry, it's not as bad you think it is."

"...yes. I'm sorry..."

"Meow."

"Hm, well, I'm still glad you found Amy though," Junko smiles as she reaches over to pet the cat that's resting on Homura's shoulder. "You live here now, so don't be making us worry, alright?"

Homura has a feeling Junko is referring to her as well, but then Junko looks up again. "Well, no harm done. Go on, Papa should've heated up dinner for you two by now."

Madoka gives her mother a smile and a hug while Homura murmurs a thanks in response.

"Go on," Junko says again and swats Madoka's behind, earning her an eep as the girl exits to the living room. Junko laughs when Homura makes sure to steer clear of Junko's hands as she follows after Madoka.

/

Homura's not sure how she even makes it to the bed later on, but she's too tired to even dream and for once she sleeps straight through the night.

\

"...Kyuubey?"

/Hm? What is it Mami? Can't sleep again?/

There's no reply as she turns and faces towards the white creature resting on his designated pillow on her bed. She can make out his figure in the not quite darkness and knows he's looking at her.

"...What really happens when a soul gem becomes completely black...?"

/Hm? Haven't I explained this to you? You won't be able to use your magic anymore/

She shifts uncomfortably.

"When Akemi-san was healing herself, back there...I felt... something strange from her..."

/Do you mean her magic? Well, I'm still not sure of her origin/

"No... Kyuubey... there were times when I felt...well, it felt like... it was similar to the feeling...before a grief seed hatches into a witch... only... it came from her soul gem..."

/...Well, Akemi Homura's magic is a lot more sensitive to witches in general; it wouldn't be strange for her magic to reflect that the darker her soul gem gets/

"Kyuubey... What really happens when a soul gem becomes black?" Mami whispers as she closes her eyes.

She knows that if she opens them she'll be tempted to look at him but doesn't think she'll be able to look at those menacing red eyes the same way anymor**e.**

* * *

**AN: **As always, thank you for the reviews :) Especially those of you who review almost every chapter. You know who you people are! (I know who you are too. yes that sounds creepy)

Anyways, yay, another chapter. This one is the one that has given me the most problems so far as I tried to make things seem like that could happen. If things aren't believable, well, you'll be disappointed with the chapters in the future so I already apologize for that. Probably the main thing that stands out is: with her speed and time magic how did Homura end up getting hurt? Answer: Because she did. First, take in her mental health and the fact that she's more emotional in this timeline which means she's not thinking as clearly. Second, the fact that Madoka is also there as well and she has to split her attention between protecting her and on the familiars as well as the witch (I wonder if I should capitalize Witch..) and that she has to protect/save Amy. Homura is strong but not invincible; she is prone to mistakes and I bet she has been injured plenty of times during all the timelines but we just have never seen it.

Uhm, I do realize my Homura isn't as angry?(she always yells at Madoka XD) and emotionless as the one in the series; if she's too OOC I apologize for that too. I think the Homura in this story is a lot more sad... and will continue to be sad. Poor sad little Homura-chan. In fact, everyone's sad.

Except Kyuubey. Still planning what to do with him...

I have a feeling I won't be able to finish this...

Regardless, thanks again for reading, whoever you are. This is the 2nd longest chapter so far btw, and they will gradual start getting a little bit shorter.


	9. falling

**W**hen Madoka tries shaking her awake the next day, Homura groans and tries to bury herself further into the bed.

Her body aches, her mind is pounding and her arms feel like lead. Magic helped make her physically stronger, but for someone with lower healing abilities, her body is still protesting from yesterday's abuse and there's a hollow feeling that she usually gets from using too much magic at once.

"Homura-chan?" Madoka stares down at Homura in worry, noting the slightly flushed complexion on the normally pale girl. She had no idea that magical girls still got sick. "Homura-chan? Mama's going to want to check on you, do you think you can put your ears and tail away?"

Homura cracks an eye open and blearily sees a pink figure hovering above her. She lets out a small whine but the ears retract and the tail is gone after a moment.

"Good girl," Madoka says softly and gives her an affectionate stroke on the head before she's straightening up to tell her mom that Homura is too sick to go to school today.

As Homura drifts in and out of sleep, she vaguely feels a hand on her forehead, and a voice mentioning her temperature. The feeling and the atmosphere is so familiar that the words are out of her mouth though she's not consciously aware of it.

It catches the other two occupants in the room by surprise, and the one closest to Homura murmurs words of comfort and she responds with a sigh before she drifts into a much more relaxed sleep.

Junko holds a finger to her lips and Madoka nods and they both leave the room quietly.

\\

/It's a good thing you didn't get into too much trouble, Kaname-san/

/Yeah, the hot cocoa thing was a good idea too—though Mama kinda sighed in resignation and told me to stop drinking hot cocoa.../

/Tea is a very good substitute, Kaname-san. How is Akemi-san doing?/

/Ahh, Homura-chan looked awful this morning. Which reminds me, I didn't know magical girls still got sick, Mami-san. I thought that magic would protect from things like that?/

/Magic enhances the body, but doesn't make it invincible. It's why we can get injured as well. Plus, it is most likely due to Akemi-san's use of healing magic yesterday. Her body is naturally resistant to that magic, which probably put even more of a strain on her body considering how much she had to use to fix her injury. Even a magical girl has a limit on how much magic they can use continuously/

/What happens when they use too much?/

There's a pause as Mami considers her answer.

/Mental and physical exhaustion; Akemi-san will most likely sleep through the whole day as her body tries to re-balance itself. By the way, Kaname-san, is Miki-san not in school today?/

/Ah, y-yeah, Sayaka-chan isn't here. She wasn't there at our usual meeting spot this morning and when I called her house, her mother said she was sick/

/Ah, that does explain why she cancelled on me yesterday/

/Oh?/

/Yes, remember, Miki-san was supposed to join me for the patrol last night, but a little before our set time she messaged me saying that she wasn't feeling too well. Perhaps it became worse this morning?/

/Oh, maybe. I had completely forgotten... /

And here Madoka remembers how Sayaka had seemed after school yesterday and wonders if it's related to that...

/Ahhh, Mami-san, sorry, I have to pay attention now; the teacher is calling my row to read. I'll talk to you more at lunch?/

/Sure, see you then, Kaname-san/

/Bye Mami-san!/

/

Sayaka stares at the bowl of soup in front of her but she finds herself with no appetite. Her stomach continues to flip flop as her thoughts continue to go round and round as Homura's words echo in her mind.

She's been in this listless state ever since she came home yesterday and her parents were immediately worried about their usually vibrant daughter acting less than normal. It's why she's now sitting in bed instead of at school, laughing and learning with Madoka and Hitomi. Though, she's not sure if she's quite in the mood to laugh.

There's a part of her that wants to deny everything that Homura had said—call her crazy and demented and to just ignore her.

There's another part of her though, a part in the back of her mind that whispers things and tells her that everything is true.

And that part is the part that scares her.

Because then that means that she—

And then there are memories that she remembers from some place, that reaffirms everything that Homura had told her. They are fragments and piecemeal that do not tell the whole story, but it's enough for her to remember a dark red stage with her as the main attraction. Music and violins and girls that remind her of Hitomi as Madoka and someone...familiar pleads for her to stop.

Stop what?

Stop fighting.

She grips her hair in frustration. Just yesterday she had been on the verge of helping Kyousuke, of stepping in and being able to bring his dreams back to reality and now she's busy beating herself up over these stupid things the transfer student had told her.

Thinking has never been Sayaka's main strength and at this point she feels like she's going crazy trying to figure out the solution to some strange problem that she doesn't even know.

Nodding to herself, she takes the tray with soup and places it onto the table besides her bed and throws off her blankets.

She's had enough thinking and needs a lot more doing.

And even though she doesn't want to, she needs to talk with Homura again and at least gain another piece of this puzzle she's trying to put together.

\\

Despite Tomohisa's insistence that they stay in case Homura needs anything, she waves him off and tells him she is merely going to sleep and that him taking a restless Takkun to the park is better than making the young boy try and keep quiet while Homura rests.

So a still tired Homura is now alone in the Kaname house and after finishing the soup Tomohisa had prepared for lunch, she is in the midst of crawling back into bed when her phone rings suddenly. She fumbles with the covers before reaching for her device on Madoka's table.

Thinking it's perhaps Madoka or Junko checking on her, she doesn't bother glancing at the ID and flips her phone open.

"Hello?"

The familiar voice has the blood draining from her face as the caller explains the reason for calling her.

/

Classes after lunch always make her sleepy and today is no exception. Madoka yawns once more as she struggles to keep awake so that she can take notes for both Homura and Sayaka. It doesn't help though, that the history teacher's voice hits this certain tone that tends to lull everyone to sleep as noted by all the propped up notebooks in the classroom.

*Kin kon Kin Kon Kin Kon*

A few students are roused from their nap as the overhead intercom chimes.

"Will a Kaname Madoka please head to the administration's office? There's a phone call waiting for you."

Surprised at the interruption, Madoka looks up and the teacher nods to her.

"Kaname-san?"

"A-ah! Okay—" Madoka quickly closes her notebook and places it on her desk before sharing a look with Hitomi and then she's heading towards the administrative building.

\\

Sayaka sighs as she scratches her head absently.

After almost getting into an argument with her mom about needing to get some fresh air, she realizes that she is wasting her time since it will still be a few hours from now until school lets out. Trying to message Madoka is also a bust since the girl has turned off her phone during classes.

So now she's hanging out around the school, looking like a delinquent and feeling like one. If any truancy officers catch her they're going to want to know why she's not inside and she's sure they're not going to accept her reason of being sick but needing to talk to someone that is taking notes for the class she is currently ditching.

Sayaka suddenly looks to the school gates. She remembers Homura mentioning that the school entrance was in distance of Kyuubey's powers. She isn't sure that this will work since Kyuubey doesn't know she's here, but she tries anyways.

/Madoka?/

Pause.

/Mami-san?/

Sayaka sighs again. Nope, that didn't work at all. So now she just has to wait three hours until school finally finishes while making sure she's not caught for not attending classes.

Easy.

/

"What?!" Madoka's voice echoes throughout the office and she gives a nervous look around before lowering her voice. "What do you mean she's gone, Papa?"

"I'm sorry, Madoka," the regret is apparent in his voice. "I took Takkun to the park to play so that it would be quiet enough for Homura-chan to rest, but when we came back she wasn't in the house."

Madoka chews on her lip fearfully. "I-Is her stuff still there?"

Tomohisa nods even though he knows his daughter can't see. "Everything's still here. She changed her clothes though..."

Madoka thinks. "What about her phone? Have you tried calling her? Is Amy there? Maybe she knows where Homura-chan is...?"

"I'm sorry Madoka, Amy left sometime in the morning and I don't see Homura-chan's phone anywhere. I don't have her number either which is why I'm calling you."

"Papa, can you please have me checked out of the school? I want to go look for her."

"Madoka..."

"I know, Papa, but this is important! I... don't think it's good to leave Homura-chan alone..." thoughts of Homura lying somewhere bleeding to death flashes through her mind and she shuts her eyes to will the image away.

Her father's calm voice draws back her attention and she opens them again. "Alright, Madoka. And if Mama asks, it was Papa's idea, okay?"

"Yes! Thank you Papa!"

/

As Sayaka decides she should wait somewhere less conspicuous instead of by the school, a familiar pink figure exiting the school gates garners her attention and she mentally gives a cheer for her luck.

"Madoka!" she calls out to the running girl who turns to her in surprise and promptly runs into some nearby bushes. "Aah...sorry!" Sayaka quickly moves to help her out and brushes stray leaves from Madoka's hair.

"S-Sayaka-chan? What are you doing here? Aren't you sick?" Madoka asks as she tries to straighten out her shirt.

"Y-yeah, about that," Sayaka gives her a sheepish look.

Madoka suddenly remembers why she was rushing. "Uhm, well, I'm glad you're not sick, Sayaka-chan! But I'm in a hurry so—"

"Wait! I just wanted to know if you know the transfer student's number—I need to talk to her!"

The way Madoka stiffens at the mention of Homura doesn't go unnoticed by Sayaka.

"Madoka?"

Madoka shakes her head and looks close to tears.

"What's wrong!? Did the transfer student do something to you? Did she yell—"

"No! Homura-chan didn't do anything! S-She's missing!"

"What?" Sayaka stares at her in surprise. "Did she not go to school today? Maybe she's just—"

"N-No," Madoka shakes her head again. "A-A lot of things happened yesterday, and I need to find her, just in case something else happens!"

"Wait wait wait," Sayaka places a hand to her forehead; why did things involving Homura always give her headache? "Can you explain what happened from the top?"

"There's no time, Sayaka-chan! I need to find her!"

Sayaka groans. When Madoka got this way it was hard to stop her. "Alright, find her now and explanations later. I'll help you look. Do you know where she could be?"

"I think she might be at her apartment—but, she could also be at the park near my house...It's big enough that she could've hid from Papa easily..."

"Okay, good, you have two potential places. How 'bout we split up then? I'll search her house and you go to the park?"

Madoka debates, biting her lip before she nods. "Alright." The chances of Homura being at either could be 50% or even 0%, and as long as one of them found her... Madoka gives Homura's address to Sayaka.

"Okay, call me if you see her," Sayaka tells her and they go their separate ways.

"Sayaka-chan!" the tomboy turns around to see Madoka waving at her. "Thank you!"

Sayaka grins and gives her a thumbs up. Yeah, this is what a hero is all about.

Setting aside differences to help those in need—even weird and mysterious transfer students.

/

/Your soul gem seems to be on the verge of collapse, Akemi Homura/

Cat ears out and twitching, Homura hisses at the voice that pierces through the haze of her dark swirl of thoughts.

"How did you get in here?" she growls at him though she looks neither intimidating or imposing as she's lying curled up in her bed.

/There was an opening small enough for a cat to crawl through your window/

"Leave," is all she says as she hugs herself closer. "Why are you even here...why..why...always here..."

/You are quite the irregular, Akemi Homura. I still haven't figured out your source of magic, or why your magic differs than the normal. The origins would suggest that one of my kind granted you your wish, but as I am the only one in this region, I have no record of contracting with you or granting any powers that include physical manifestations. I find it fascinating/

"Leave...me..alone," she struggles out as she holds her arms over her head. "leave...leave...leave! GET OUT!"

/I merely want to observe what happens when someone with your magic succumbs to her despair. Perhaps the physical manifestations cause a more powerful witch to to be born? Not that you aren't powerful enough as is, Akemi Homura. With you and Kaname Madoka, there would be enough energy collected to last for years!/

"GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!" Homura grabs the pillow off her bed and throws it at him. It misses and instead hits the wall harmlessly before sliding down to meet the floor.

/Alright. As it seems you are somehow still holding on, I do have some business to attend to. I look forward to seeing how much energy I can collect from you later, Akemi Homura/

And suddenly he's gone and the relief from the silence wants to make her cry. Except it's not really silence, because how can there be silence when all she can hear are the voices blaming her, telling her that everything is her fault?

She moves her head and holds out her left hand. It's shaking even as she summons her soul gem in her palm and she's not surprised at all to see that it's pitch black. There's one little spot of purple left and she stares at it before letting her hand fall. Her soul gem rolls out of her grasp and comes to rest atop the mattress.

Too many boxes—  
and,  
they,  
all,  
fell,  
down.

/

As Sayaka reaches the older district that housed Homura's apartment, her blood runs cold as she spots a familiar white creature sitting on a nearby street post.

/Miki Sayaka. It seems you are close to making a decision to your wish. Will you—/

Heedless of the few people walking in the otherwise quiet area, Sayaka rushes to Kyuubey and grabs him roughly before using her speed to pitch him as far as she can throw him.

"I don't know what the hell you did with her! But get out of my face before I come back with a bat!" Sayaka yells at him as the other people in the street stare at the strange girl. "What!?" she snaps at them and they all turn away.

Sayaka shakes her head. Ever since Homura had unlocked or whatever'd her memories, thoughts of Kyuubey always made her angry and she has a feeling that whatever is happening to Homura right now isn't good.

"Stupid transfer student..." Sayaka mutters as she races towards the building in the middle of the district.

\\

Madoka's breathless as she reaches the park that now reminds her of hot cocoa and hopeful promises and she's disappointed when she doesn't spot a familiar dark-haired girl sitting on one of the benches. She chokes back a sob and slaps her cheeks in frustration.

She can't cry now; Homura needs her! Somehow or other, she knows the other girl is fighting to stay afloat and if Madoka can get to her, she knows she can save her somehow.

"Homura-chan," Madoka tries to steady her hands against her chest. She takes a deep breath, steeling herself and then she's scanning the area to see if the girl is somewhere else nearby.

/

"Oy! Transfer student! I know you're in there!" As Sayaka continues to pound on the door to Homura's apartment (known by the name plate), she hopes that the neighbors won't call the cops since she's being really, really loud. "Come on! Your owner is looking for you!" *THUD THUD* "I have some milk for you here!" *THUD THUD* "YOU STUPID CAT! OPEN UP ALREADY!"

Just as Sayaka's about to try to kick open the door (never mind that the door opens the wrong way) she gains an idea and runs back to the entrance of the building. She stares up at the strange architecture and numerous windows before she shakes her head and tries to find what she's looking for.

She didn't think she threw him that far...

Paying no mind to the few people passing through the area, Sayaka takes a deep breath.

"Oy! Kyuubey! Where are you, you stupid white rat?!"

Her shout echoes and bounces off the buildings and she fights down her embarrassment as curious eyes glance at her before some of them hurry away.

/I don't understand you humans/ Kyuubey interrupts as he appears right in front of her. /First you want me gone and now you are calling for me. Did you decide on a wish, Miki Sayaka?/

Sayaka shakes her head. "Nope. I want to know how you get into the transfer student's apartment. I notice you don't really use magic mumbo jumbo to get around, so I'm assuming you have to physically move your body to places..."

/Is that your wish?/

"Nope, as if I'd waste that on something like _this_. I just want to know."

Unable to deny a simple question, Kyuubey simply answers. /Hm... the apartments here have high windows that are accessible through a fire escape located in the back. Akemi Homura leaves the window open slightly so that a cat can crawl through/

"Fire escape, huh? Alright... Thanks, I guess," she tells him grudgingly and heads towards the back.

She bites back a grin as she spots a red ladder signaling a very old styled fire escape and then frowns when she notices it'd be impossible to reach it without another ladder.

"Accessible huh..." she sighs out and levels Kyuubey with a glare.

/Accessible for small animals/ Kyuubey clarifies and Sayaka rolls her eyes as she looks around.

She brightens when she spots a wall that she can jump off of in order to reach the ladder; that can work, right?

Done with Kyuubey, Sayaka heads towards the wall and searches for the best way to scale up. "Why are you following me?" she grumbles to the white creature when she sees the white tail out of her peripheral vision.

/A fall from those heights could leave you paralyzed or even worse off. There's a potential for a wish in case that happens/

"Camping for opportunity huh..." Sayaka shakes her head. "Too bad though. I'll have you know I'm great at climbing; I used to climb in trees all the time when I was a kid."

She ignores him completely and concentrates on finding a foothold and grins when she spots an uneven piece of cement jutting out. She's lucky the district here is older and maintenance seems to be one of those things no one seems to care about.

/

Homura's not sure how much time passes but suddenly she hears the sound of glass breaking. If she wasn't already so lost in her mind, she would've moved to investigate would be burglars breaking into her home and instead merely shifts so that she now has a view to the open doorway to her room.

She doesn't know what to expect and when Miki Sayaka walks into her room looking triumphant, she wonders if she's already long past gone because she has no idea why the other girl would be here.

"Ah... sorry about your window," Sayaka says sheepishly as she rubs her neck and laughs. She also mutters something under her breath but Homura doesn't find herself caring enough so she merely rolls back to stare at the wall. "H-Hey! The great Sayaka-chan is here! Shouldn't you be more excited!?"

Disappointed but not surprised at her reception, Sayaka walks closer to the curled up girl. "Hey, transfer student, is everything alr—!" when she's close enough, she notices that the black object lying next to Homura isn't a grief seed like she thought, but is in fact her soul gem. "What the hell, transfer student!? Why aren't you cleaning your soul gem!?" Sayaka demands as she reaches over and tries to shake Homura out of her stupor. The girl remains limp and Sayaka is surprised by how light the girl is in her hands.

"Oy! Give me a grief seed and I'll use it for you!"

"...I don't have any more..." Homura replies.

"What do you mean, you don't have anymore?" Sayaka asks as she lets Homura fall back onto the bed. She's disturbed by the way the girl just lays there since it reminds her of _atrainstationandshe'salreadygivenup_—and she looks away. "You seem like someone who would keep plenty for a rainy day—so how can you no longer have any?!"

"...I used it all yesterday..."

Sayaka growls angrily. "What the hell is this! You tell me all about turning into witches and whatever else and now YOU'RE the one on the verge of changing and you don't even have any on you!?"

"...It's fine..." Homura says as she closes her eyes, sounding resigned.

"Nuh uh, no way, transfer student," and Sayaka reaches over to slap her on the cheeks. "Wakey wakey, no sleepy for you. Think about..." Sayaka racks her brain trying to remember what Homura had told her yesterday. "...your family and friends!"

Here Homura lets out a laugh that sounds cold and empty. "...I think you have me confused with someone else, Miki Sayaka..."

Sayaka falters. She doesn't know anything about Homura at all and she is probably making things worse. Swallowing hard, she looks at the soul gem that is just hovering on the edge and she tries to think. If only Madoka was here...

She snaps her fingers. Madoka!

"Think about Madoka, transfer student! Think about how she's going to cry when the girl she's out looking for gave up and turned into a witch!"

"...Madoka?" Homura's ears twitch at the name and Sayaka latches on.

"Yeah! Madoka! She sent me looking for you! In fact, she's coming over here right now!" Sayaka lies as she quickly takes out her phone and sends a message to the other girl. "And guess what's going to happen when she gets here and YOU'RE a witch huh?"

"...Madoka..." Homura stirs.

"Yeah, and poor, sweet, little Madoka who only wanted to save her friend is going to be killed by said friend! Is that what you want, transfer student!?"

Homura struggles to sit up and Sayaka reaches over to help her.

"Hey...just hold on alright? Madoka will be here soon," she tells her softly.

Homura doesn't reply and Sayaka decides to keep her mouth shut.

\

When Madoka finally reaches Homura's apartment, she's about to rush to Homura's side when Sayaka suddenly grabs her by the wrist and pulls her back.

"S-Sayaka-chan? Let go, I need to check—"

"Madoka, wait," and the serious tone draws her attention.

"What's wrong?" Madoka can feel her heart pounding in fear.

"Listen, when you go in there, you need to—just be there, okay?"

"Sayaka-chan?" her face shows the confusion she feels.

"Like, no telling her things that she needs to cry it out or talk about it or whatever things you usually say."

"Uhm...okay...?"

"Madoka, I'm serious," and the look on Sayaka's face shows just how serious she is. "She's really, really close to falling, Madoka, and she's only barely holding on because of you."

"F-Falling?" Something, a distant memory, flashes through Madoka's mind—_noIdon'twanttoturninto_a—

"Her soul gem is almost pitch black," Sayaka tells her. "Whatever happened to her hit her very hard and—when her soul gem gets...completely black... she'll... hatch into a witch."

The floor drops under her as she processes Sayaka's words. "A..A witch? H-Homura-chan's going to turn into a witch...?"

"I already called Mami-san to see if she had any grief seeds—but whatever you three did yesterday seemed to have used them all up and she's out trying to find one right now and will come here as soon as she does."

"D-Does...Mami-san know about...?"

Sayaka shakes her head. "I only told her that the transfer student needed a grief seed." She looks at Madoka seriously. "Anyways, you ready?"

Madoka swallows hard and nods. "Y-Yeah."

Sayaka leads her towards Homura's room and Madoka feels her heart break when she sees the broken girl curled up on the bed.

"Homura-chan," she murmurs softly and the sound of her voice makes the girl's cat ears twitch in acknowledgement.

"Figures," Sayaka mutters as she notices her reaction to Madoka.

Madoka ignores her and is at Homura's side in seconds. "I'm here, Homura-chan," she tells her as she takes a seat on the bed, making sure to not touch the soul gem lying a bit away. She reaches over and pulls the girl close until her head is in her lap. Empty lavender eyes stare up at her and Madoka gives her a gentle smile. "You're okay, Homura-chan," she says as she lays hands atop the girl's head and strokes her cat ears. Homura closes her eyes and unconsciously leans into the touch. "You'll be okay, Homura-chan," she repeats once more.

Sayaka scratches her cheek as she stares at her best friend thoughtfully. If she didn't know any better, it seemed like Madoka was...

/

They sit there in silence with Madoka continuing to pet Homura as they wait for Mami to arrive.

"Hey, Madoka," Sayaka glances at Homura but seeing as she doesn't react to her talking she turns to look at the smaller girl.

"Hmm?"

"I.." Sayaka takes a deep breath and then exhales. "I'm going to confess to Kyousuke."

Madoka's eyes widen and her hand stops moving as she turns to Sayaka in surprise. There's a small whimper from Homura and she murmurs her apologies and continues stroking the soft cat ears before turning back to Sayaka.

"Really?"

Sayaka nods resolutely. "Yes. I'm going to confess and then...I'm going to make a wish to heal him."

Madoka barely remembers to keep her hands moving as she gapes at Sayaka, this time in complete shock. "W-what? E-Even after-the—?"

Sayaka tightens her hands into fists. "I wasn't lying when I said that I wanted people to be able to listen to his music once more. Kyousuke's... important to me, but it's not just because I like him. If you were in the same situation, I would do the same for you, Madoka. And I know you'd do the same for me."

Madoka nods slowly; she would do the same in a heartbeat for her family or Sayaka or Hitomi or... Homura.

"So... I'm going to tell him, and no matter his response, I will become a magical girl."

Madoka knows it's no use trying to convince Sayaka otherwise and she absently scratches Homura's cat ears, earning her a quiet purr that in any other situation would make her melt at the adorableness.

Instead, she's just reminded of how close she's getting to potentially losing all of her friends and that just brings quiet tears to her eyes.

/

"I'm so sorry it took so long, I came here as quickly as I could," Mami breathes out as she rushes into the apartment.

"No need to apologize, Mami-san! The transfer student is just lucky to have such a reliable senpai in this situation!" Sayaka tells her as she leads her to where Homura is still lying in Madoka's lap.

As soon as Mami sees her soul gem, she gasps and immediately takes out the grief seed she had barely managed to obtain.

"H-How did it...?" Mami asks even as she places the grief seed flush again the almost blackened soul gem and they watch with bated breath as it slowly draws out tendrils of darkness.

Madoka shakes her head. "We don't know what happened, but I received a phone call from my dad earlier telling me that Homura-chan was missing. I tried telling you before I left, Mami-san, but there was no answer from Kyuubey and it was during class, so your phone was probably off."

"Y-yes," Mami agrees as she pulls the full grief seed away. Homura's soul gem is brighter now, not completely clean but a whole lot better than before. "Kyuubey said he had something to take care of, so the telepathic link didn't work and Miki-san just so happened to call during break and luckily I had checked my phone." She turns to the now healthier looking girl. "Akemi-san? How are you feeling?"

Homura slowly opens her eyes and Madoka is glad that empty stare is no longer there. She doesn't pull her hands away though.

"Homura-chan?"

Homura's still picking up the scattered boxes in her mind and she's still feeling the drain from her overuse of magic but...

"I'm fine... thank you."

There's a collective sigh of relief as the worse is finally over, for now.

Madoka glances at Sayaka and tilts her head in question. Sayaka nods in response.

"Mami-san?"

"Yes, Miki-san?" She has noticed their earlier exchange but lets them voice their thoughts.

"Uhm, that is...you know, how the transfer student's soul gem was all dark? She was—that is... she was turning into a witch."

They wait for the pin to drop; for Mami to process and to react.

Instead Mami sighs as she stares at nothing. "...How did you girls find out?"

Sayaka and Madoka look at her in shock and even Homura trains her eyes on her; the last time Mami had 'found out' she had tried to kill everyone. What made it different this time?

"...You knew?" is all Madoka can say. Mami had tried convincing them to become magical girls when she knew that they turned into other things as well?

Mami gives her an empty smile. "I've been a magical girl for a long time, Kaname-san. I've...seen things and have noticed things; it's easier to pretend and smile or else the despair will eat me alive. But as for knowing, I've suspected, but I didn't, or couldn't, confirm it until I asked Kyuubey last night... I'm sorry if you think it was my intention to trick you; it wasn't. Loneliness can make someone do desperate things and I apologize for trying to have you girls involved."

They're quiet as the other two realize the weight of Mami's words.

They never considered things from her perspective; that is, a girl who was ripped away from her carefree life where she suddenly was all alone and had to take on the world so that she could live. If they were in her situation, wouldn't they want someone there as well?

"I'm sorry, Mami-san," Madoka apologizes as she bows her head. "I... didn't know."

"Y-Yeah," Sayaka agrees as she also lowers her head. She had assumed that being a magical girl was amazing (before she had talked to Homura) and she had made it seem like something to be idolized when in fact it meant walking the path of isolation and eventual destruction.

"I believe we each have our own things to apologize for and I'm willing to put it all past me if you two would forgive me as well."

"O-Of course! Mami-san!" Madoka immediately looks to the blonde who gives her a real smile this time.

"Yeah! Of course!" Sayaka agrees.

Homura's cat ears twitch but she remains quiet.

/

They know that Homura is feeling better when she regards Sayaka with an almost exasperated look. "...I can't believe you broke my neighbor's window as well..."

"H-Hey! I didn't know which one was yours; it's not like there was a sign pointing out which window belongs to your apartment! Do you know how hard it was to climb that rusted ladder? I almost fell—like twice!" Sayaka argues back as she tries to defend her actions. "Plus, if it hadn't been for me you'd be all witch-y right now!"

It's the wrong thing to say and Homura visibly flinches and Mami and Madoka both give Sayaka looks of disapproval.

"Uhm," Sayaka rubs at her neck nervously. "At least everything worked out in the end... and luckily no one was home. It should be easy to fix, right? I mean, you can use your magic on it or something...?"

Homura stares at her blankly and Mami shakes her head.

"Magic can only fix things that already have magic in them," Mami explains patiently. "Our bodies are intertwined with our soul gems, which is why we can heal and rebuild...parts. Objects though—if they are made from our magic, such as our weapons, or are already enchanted by magic...then we can repair them—at least the magical part. Other objects however, are impossible to rebuild; we can only destroy."

"Uh oh... so enchanting it with magic won't work?"

Mami shakes her head. "We'd have to constantly supply magic to the window otherwise it would fall apart again."

Sayaka pales as she thinks to the two broken windows she had kicked through. "Uh... so now what?"

Homura sighs. "While it's rare, vandals do sometimes break into the buildings in this neighborhood since the area is usually so empty. I will need to talk to the manager before I leave, but I can mention that my apartment was also vandalized and that should at least help lessen the suspicion somehow. You are lucky there are no security cameras in this area, Miki Sayaka."

Sayaka decides to be the mature one and merely sticks her tongue out at Homura in response.

After Homura informs the manager of her broken window and how to reach her in case they need to file a police report (which she doubts the manager will do), Madoka leads Homura back to her house while Sayaka goes home and Mami decides to try and gain more grief seeds, just in case.

"..yes, Papa, she's okay...we're heading home now...okay, thanks Papa, see you in a bit."

Madoka locks her phone and even with her hand gripping her schoolbag, she manages to slip the device into her skirt pocket before turning to Homura who's trailing behind her and holding onto her other hand.

The closer they get to Madoka's house, the more Homura's reminded of _that_ phone call and the more she doesn't want to remember.

"Homura-chan?" Madoka keeps her voice soft but knows that the other girl can hear her which is proven when Homura looks up. "...I know...something happened... and," she sighs, "I need to tell Mama and Papa why you left..." she knows that Homura doesn't want to and gives her an encouraging squeeze on the hand.

Homura doesn't reply and instead walks forward until she's right behind Madoka and the smaller girl suddenly feels a weight on her head.

Homura's leaning her forehead against Madoka and fighting to keep the tears at bay; she just cleaned her soul gem, she didn't need to do it again, not so soon.

Madoka waits, though her face slightly flushes as they're in clear view of anyone else around them but she tries her best to ignore their surroundings.

"...my mom died..."

All thoughts flee from Madoka's mind and she whirls around to gather Homura in her arms.

"W-What? H-how?" 'Why?' Madoka whispers in her mind to no one; why did so many things seem to want to prevent Homura from being happy?

Homura takes a deep breath and slowly releases it, no doubt trying to calm herself. "..It was... an accident. The funeral is next week.." A pause. "..I don't want to go..."

Madoka nods and holds her tighter. "That's okay, we'll just take this one day at a time, okay, Homura-chan?"

Homura bites back a sob. "Y-yeah," she agrees softly.

One day at a time.

/

When they arrive back home, Madoka tells Homura to go to her room while she explains the situation to her dad.

Homura pushes the door open further and is surprised to see Amy sitting on Madoka's bed. She tilts her head and looks at her in question.

"Meow."

"...I see."

"...meow."

"...not my fault," Homura says and she closes the door after her and heads over to the bed.

"Meow."

"Mm, maybe later," Homura tells her as she lowers herself onto the mattress. She's exhausted. She doesn't even have the strength to change back into her pajamas.

"Meoow."

Homura chooses not to reply and closes her eyes. She hears Amy protest and then she feels the bed move slightly as Amy jumps off and then there's the sound of something being dragged along the floor.

"Meooow."

"Nngh..." Homura cracks an eye open and peers down at Amy who's sitting in front of a familiar looking red bag.

"Meoow."

"...alright." Homura reaches down and grabs the bag, easily tearing open the plastic to reveal the snacks inside. She glances at the back: recommended only two to three snacks daily. She pulls out one snack the size of Amy's paw and holds it out to her.

"Meowww."

"Mm," Homura blinks sleepily at her. "Madoka helped pick this one out. It should be good."

Amy sniffs it curiously and then opens her mouth to take it from Homura's outstretched hand. Homura watches as Amy uses her paws to hold the treat down as she takes a small bite.

"...How is it?"

Amy ignores her and continues to eat without replying.

Homura stares at the bag in her hand blankly. She reaches inside and pulls out another snack. Just as she puts the treat to her mouth and takes a bite, the room to Madoka's door opens and she turns in response.

"..." Madoka looks at Homura and to the bag in her hands. "Homura-chan..."

Homura blushes slightly at having been caught, though she still finishes the whole piece.

/

After Madoka makes sure that Homura brushes her teeth thoroughly and she somehow manages to change clothes without Madoka's help, she sleeps the rest of the day, curled up in bed and only wakes briefly when Madoka joins her later at night.

Madoka isn't surprised though, when she wakes up to Homura tossing and turning in her sleep. She brings the other girl closer, whispering words of comfort and wiping the gathered tears from her closed eyes.

"..Madoka..." Homura's voice sounds pained and Madoka gently shushes her.

"I'm here, Homura-chan, it's okay."

She whimpers softly and buries her head into the crook of Madoka's neck.

"Shhh, Homura-chan. It's okay."

Eventually her cries quiet down and she falls back into a less disturbed sleep. Madoka watches her for a while longer before she too closes her eyes and sleep**s.**

* * *

**AN: **Another day, another chapter. Had a bit of a problem with this one too.

As always, thanks for the reviews :))) especially to metalon and Passerby-A. Seriously your reviews are well thought out and they manage to give me some feedback on what I'm writing. Not that the other reviews aren't appreciated but sometimes it's good to hear what others are thinking other than "this is a good story" or "this is interesting." Is it really?!  
?_? The story is progressing quite slow and after this the chapters will be a bit shorter...

Regardless, thanks for reading. plot holes~ plot holes~


	10. holding on

**I**t takes her five minutes to locate her phone (somehow it had tumbled under Madoka's bed) and when she powers it on, she's relieved to find that it still works. She has vague memories of her crushing it in her hands but that had to be an allusion to a different time because there are no visible signs of damage on her phone.

Why it was off though, remains a mystery and as she double checks to see if it's still functioning and dismisses the missed calls from yesterday, her eyes catch sight of the date and she pauses as she tries to remember the significance of today.

She absently takes in the time—and is surprised that almost ten minutes has passed since she had entered Madoka's room to search for her phone.

As if on cue, there's a knock on the door and Madoka peers inside.

"Homura-chan? Breakfast is ready...?"

"Ah. Yes, I will be right there," she tells her as she closes her phone and slips it into her skirt pocket.

"Homura-chan?"

She looks up to see Madoka staring at her, face worried and eyes searching for—_something_.

"Yes, Madoka?" Homura straightens, adopting her usual aloof appearance and it does nothing to reassure the smaller girl.

"A-Are you sure you want to go to school today? Maybe it would be better to stay home and rest..."

And subject herself to being watched like a hawk by Tomohisa?

Homura shakes her head. "I am feeling a lot better today, Madoka." Pause. "...Stable."

They both fall in silence as their thoughts refer to yesterday—and then Amy is meowing at them in irritation.

Homura brushes her hair behind her. "...You sleep too much anyways, Amy. She is right though, Madoka. Let's not keep your parents waiting."

Madoka watches as Homura exits the room and after a small smile to the already sleeping cat on her desk, Madoka follows the other girl out the door.

As they dig into breakfast, the normally cheerful atmosphere is muted as they try to avoid anything that might end up setting Homura off. Even Takkun senses something and for once eats his breakfast quietly, eyes squinting around the table as he tries to figure out what's wrong.

Homura reaches for her glass of milk and misses it when she finally remembers.

"Ah." She suddenly pulls out her phone to confirm her fears and puts a hand to her forehead. She must really be out of it in this timeline; it's the first time she has ever forgotten about this day, ever.

"Homura-chan?" Madoka is worried and when Homura glances up, she can see everyone (minus Takkun who's enjoying his tomatoes) staring at her in question.

"Ah—" her reply is cut off by the generic sound of her ringtone and she glances down—this time making sure to check the number and it's someone she recognizes, "—sorry," she bows in apology and stands up while flipping her phone open. "Hello?" she asks as she moves towards the hallway for more privacy.

Madoka exchanges worried looks with her parents but they can only sit and wait until Homura is done and turn back to their breakfasts.

"...yes... sorry...no—right...sorry..."

They can hear bits and pieces of her one-sided conversation and Madoka fidgets impatiently as she waits for Homura to rejoin them.

"...alright...n-no...o-okay...I-I know...o-okay...see you soon... y-yes. Okay...bye..." The phone snaps shut and Homura sighs before slipping the device back into her skirt pocket and walks back to the dining room table.

"Sorry, I had to take the call during breakfast," Homura apologizes but she doesn't retake her seat. "Uhm.."

"Is everything alright, Homura?" Junko asks as she looks at her calmly.

"Y-Yes," Homura nods. "Well, actually, I need to leave now, I'm sorry."

Madoka stares at her with her fork in hand before she stands up in protest.

"What! Homura-chan! Even after everything we told you—"

"Madoka," her mother's calm voice stops her rant and Madoka sits back down as her mother turns to Homura, eyes looking serious enough that Homura steps back involuntarily. "And, can you give me one good reason why you need to leave?"

Homura flinches and her eyes nervously dart back and forth from Junko to Madoka. "U-uhm... I forgot about my doctor's appointment... so I need to leave...so I can get there before ...830...?"

Junko immediately relaxes while Madoka almost collapses against her chair.

"Homura-chan!" Madoka can't decide whether she wants to sigh in relief or laugh at Homura's awkwardness. "You couldn't have phrased it differently...?"

"Uhm," she ducks her head. "Sorry...?"

\\

It's ten minutes until lunch when Homura enters the classroom and all the sleepy and hungry students watch as she closes the door and approaches the teacher, note in hand.

The middle-aged science teacher with a permanent frown on his face accepts the paper, eyes scrutinizing the written words and then he reluctantly waves her off in dismissal and she bows slightly before walking over to her seat.

Madoka gives her a small wave and Homura returns a nod before she turns around and sits down.

Homura only has around two lines of notes when the bell chimes, signaling the start of lunch and she puts her things away before walking to Madoka's desk.

"How was your appointment, Homura-chan?" Madoka asks as she pulls out both their lunches; she had insisted on carrying Homura's today and Homura reaches for hers with a murmur of thanks just as an arm ropes around her shoulders and she jumps in surprise.

"Heyyy, there you are, transfer student," Sayaka says with a grin. "Listen, Madoka, Hitomi, you two go up and meet Mami-san first, I need to borrow this little kitty cat for a few minutes."

Before Homura can respond, Sayaka is pulling her away and dragging the dark-haired girl through the hallways.

Madoka merely stacks her own bentou on top of Homura's and stands up even though she's worried. "Shall we go, Hitomi-chan?"

"'Little kitty cat?'" Hitomi asks as she follows after Madoka. There's a strange tone to her voice and a weird look on face.

"Ehehe," Madoka gives her a nervous smile. "U-Uhm, yeah, you know, Homura-chan.. kind of has this cat-like vibe...?"

Hitomi thinks and then she's nodding in agreement. "Ah, I understand what you mean, Madoka-san. Akemi-san would certainly be a black cat."

Here Madoka gives her a real smile. "Yeah! She would, wouldn't she!"

/

Sayaka doesn't bother removing her arm from Homura's shoulders and expertly leads her through the hallways. She continues pushing her outside to one of the buildings further in the back where there are less people and less curious eyes.

Once they're in a quiet area where they can talk in peace, Sayaka finally releases her hold and the now annoyed girl smooths out her uniform before turning to Sayaka with a frown.

"That was rather unnecessary, Miki Sayaka," Homura tells her as she brushes her hair back.

Sayaka shrugs. "Just had to make sure you would follow me, that's all."

They stare at each other, Homura with her usual blank face and Sayaka looking nervous. Even with, or maybe because of what happened yesterday, the two are still awkward around each other and Sayaka sighs. She might as well get this over with.

"Alright," Sayaka clears her throat. "Since you were kind of busy yesterday," Homura looks away, "I didn't get a chance to talk to you. But, well..." Sayaka lowers her voice, "do you remember what me and Madoka were talking about yesterday...? You were kind of there, but kind of not..."

Homura looks back to her and hesitantly shakes her head. "No, I'm afraid I don't have much recollection of what happened while I was... indisposed..." she gestures and Sayaka understands. "I remember arriving to my apartment, but everything after that is a blur."

Which means that she was really, really far gone.

"Right, right," Sayaka says nervously as she rubs at her neck. Why is this so hard to do? If she couldn't even tell people about it, how could she even do the actual confession? "Anyways... I'm...I'm going to con...fess... to... Kyousuke... today."

"...I see." Homura thinks for a moment. "Is that all you wanted to tell me?"

Sayaka looks at her in frustration. "Hey!" she growls. "It might not be a big deal to you—but it's a pretty big deal to me!"

Homura nods. "Yes, I have heard that confessing is one of those defining moments in a young girl's life," she tilts her head curiously, "but, I don't understand why you're telling me this...?"

Sayaka sighs again. This girl really is hard to deal with. "I kind of remember you making a really big deal about me wasting my wish on Kyousuke and though it pains to admit it, the things you said... were maybe sort of, kind of... just a liiitttle bit true."

"Just a little," Homura repeats and Sayaka rolls her eyes.

"Yes, just a little. But!" She points to Homura. "I'm going to show you that you're wrong! I am going to help him, whether or not he accepts my feelings! I wasn't lying when I said that I want people to be able to hear him play again!"

Homura barely bites back a long suffering sigh. What was the point of lecturing her about witches and soul gems if she was going to make a wish anyways?

Is Miki Sayaka more of a fool than she thought?

"Are you sure that is wise, Miki Sayaka?" Homura tells her. "Accepting the life of a magical girl also means accepting that your soul is no longer inside your body; whether that still makes us human can be debatable. If Kamijou Kyousuke were to accept your feelings, will you be able to be with him while knowing that you are merely a living shell? A zombie, as someone so eloquently put once."

_We'refreakingzombies—_

Here, Sayaka falters. It's true, the idea that her soul, the embodiment of what it means to be alive, would be trapped and separated from her body and that is the most disturbing thing for her, even more so than becoming a witch, which is a strange thought. But...

"You know, it's funny, because I mean, it does bother me. It bothers me a lot actually. But then I look at Mami-san and there's no way I can even question that she's not human," Sayaka locks eyes with Homura. "Maybe being human means what's here," she thumps a fist to her heart, "more than something that you can't even really see. Plus, what about you?"

"... What about me?"

"I mean," Sayaka gestures to Homura, "you're more cat than human now, aren't you? And Madoka doesn't seem to mind at all."

Blink. "...I do not understand."

Sayaka sighs and crosses her arms across her chest. "Well, that's something you two need to figure out on your own. But, I think I'm okay with my soul being somewhere else; as long as I don't forget what it means to really 'be human' there's no way that I can be anything less. And," there's an uncertainty in her eyes as she gazes down to the floor. "How would I be able to call myself human if I didn't help Kyousuke...? How would I even be able to face him again?" she closes her eyes. "Ever since the accident, all I could think about was 'why wasn't it me instead?' He has something—a talent that shouldn't be restrained just because of a stupid accident! And I can help him for once! More than buying stupid CDs or giving him words of comfort—I can actually do something and help him!"

Homura frowns. "That way of thinking will be your downfall, Miki Sayaka. You do not owe Kamijou Kyousuke anything; it is regrettable that he suffered injuries that will hinder his future but—"

Sayaka holds out her hand. "Look, I get what you're saying. I know—alright?! _I know_, but as long as Kyousuke's in that bed and I'm out here..."

Homura shakes her head at her stubbornness. She tries a different approach.

"And if Kamijou Kyousuke does not accept your feelings?" Homura asks instead. "Will you be able to handle the rejection? Will you be able to separate your wish of merely wanting to help him because you want to help him opposed to wanting to help him to gain his favor? You were there yesterday, Miki Sayaka," Homura reminds her. "It's not easy, trying to hang on." She would know. "I wonder if you really can handle the darkness you carry in your heart."

Sayaka smirks at her. "Don't act all high and mighty now, transfer student. Why don't you worry about yourself first before worrying about others?" It's not what she means to say at all and there's a surge of guilt when she sees Homura's jaw clench and her hands tighten into fists.

Homura remains quiet, trying to calm her emotions and Sayaka looks away guiltily.

"Sorry, that's... uh... yeah," Sayaka awkwardly rubs at her neck. It really was a cheap shot.

"It's fine," Homura closes her eyes and turns around. "It'll be useless to try and convince you—but remember what you're getting into, Miki Sayaka. There is only one ending for all magical girls," and with a flick of her wrist, Homura is walking away from her with her dark hair trailing behind.

Sayaka can only feel slight amusement at Homura's penchant for dramatics.

She sobers up though, when she remembers she has one more person she needs to tell about her confession.

/

When Sayaka arrives on the roof after retrieving her bentou she had left in the classroom, she's surprised when she finds that Homura is not with the others as she joins them.

"Sayaka-chan? Where's Homura-chan?" The smile immediately drops from Madoka's face; she knows how Sayaka is and how surprisingly sensitive Homura is and fears that something had happened.

"Uhm...no idea, she left first and I went to get my lunch," she holds up her bentou in explanation.

Madoka frowns and is about to stand when Homura appears by the entrance to the roof. Relief floods her face even as she notices the numerous amount of milk boxes in the girl's arms; the pile looks especially larger today for some reason...

Sayaka waits until Homura approaches, promptly distracting Madoka and Mami before she turns to Hitomi.

"Hey, Hitomi..." the other girl looks up from her bentou to regard Sayaka curiously.

Sayaka takes a moment to really look at friend. Beautiful, with a great figure and a rich background. Multi-talented and tall and someone that constantly receives love letters from random boys (and girls) throughout the school. Popular.

From what she has gathered from broken memories, Hitomi has to be the close friend that also likes Kyousuke; Madoka is clearly too enamored with a certain cat-eared girl to pay attention to anyone else.

"What's wrong, Sayaka-san?" Hitomi looks at her as she places her bentou down in worry.

"Ahhh...I just," she glances around to make sure that no one else is paying attention to her and then steps closer and whispers something in Hitomi's ear.

There's a gasp of surprise from Hitomi and when Sayaka moves back to judge her reaction, she's shocked to see there's a smile on Hitomi's face.

"I see," Hitomi looks almost proud of her. "I wish you the best of luck, Sayaka-san."

"Y-Yeah," Sayaka stammers out. Hitomi is cheering her on? Is that how it usually went? She glances to Homura as if trying to ask her, but the other girl is busy working her way through another box of strawberry milk as Madoka scolds her and Sayaka merely takes a seat and opens her own bentou.

/

If Sayaka is nervous throughout the school day, she's even more so by the time the bell chimes signaling that classes are over. It doesn't help that Madoka keeps giving her worried looks while Mami always seems on the verge of saying something and Hitomi uncharacteristically squeezes her hand before she leaves to attend her...what was it today? Traditional dance class?

In fact, the only thing that keeps her grounded is Homura who's acting the same as always: blase, blank, passive. It reminds Sayaka that she also has something to prove to Homura as well and she straightens up, wiping sweaty hands on her skirt.

"A-Alright, I'm going."

"W-Wait, Sayaka-chan, maybe—"

Sayaka turns to Madoka and gives her a smile. "I'll be fine, Madoka, Mami-san. Don't follow me, please, it'll be really embarrassing if..."

They can only respect her decision and without another glance, she walks down the path to her destiny.

Madoka watches after her best friend and can't shake the bad feeling she gets when she finally notices Kyuubey following after Sayaka.

/

Something that Homura is finding increasingly annoying in this timeline is that everyone around her seems to treat her like she's as fragile as glass (though she figures that the last few days have been proving just how broken she already is).

But still, she has many, many things to do which includes restocking grief seeds due to her continuous lapses of judgement and though she had wanted to join Mami on her patrol, she's once again dragged away by Madoka and is unable to refuse because it's Madoka.

As if sensing her thoughts, Madoka turns to her and smiles. "I know you want to go, Homura-chan, but please, just rest for one more day?"

And that is the end of that.

So Homura and Madoka return home just as Tomohisa pulls a fresh pie from the oven and they all enjoy a snack as Madoka tells her dad about her day. Somehow or other, it turns into a trip to the park and everything is so normal and mundane that Homura just feels so lost as she stands to the side and watches as the three Kanames throw a ball around.

Madoka shows off her dreadful catching skills and they watch as the ball misses her outstretched hands, bounces once on the floor before lobbing back up and hitting her on the face.

"Ouch!" Madoka falls back onto the soft grass and rubs at her nose.

"Madoka! Are you alright?" Tomohisa rushes over to his daughter and she sheepishly rubs the back of her head.

"Ehehe, oops," she smiles at her dad who checks for bumps and bruises.

"Maroka!" Takkun yells and he tackles her and they both tumble onto the grass again. "Are you okay, Maroka?"

Madoka grins at her little brother. "Takkun!" And then she starts tickling him. His high pitched giggles fill the air as he struggles away from his sister and Tomohisa smiles at his two children.

Homura turns away; she doesn't belong here. She should be out there, destroying the things that want to take this away.

As she's distracted by her thoughts, she doesn't notice as Madoka whispers something to Takkun and they both stand to sneak up on Homura.

"Kitty!" Takkun screams as he crashes head first into Homura's legs.

"Eep!" She lets out a squeak of surprise and barely manages to keep her ears from appearing just as Madoka joins in and the three fall to the ground.

"Ehehe!" Both Takkun and Madoka's laughs echo in her ears and Homura can only blink as she lays on the ground in the pile of tangled limbs.

"You're supposed to be playing, Homura-chan!" Madoka tells her as she sits up and holds her hands out. Homura stares but suddenly Takkun is giggling and then Madoka is reaching out and her hands and fingers are on Homura's body, trying to figure out if the girl is ticklish or not.

Turns out, she is.

"M-Madoka!" Homura tries to escape from the unrelenting attacks as Madoka's grin grows and Takkun giggles louder. "S-stop!" her protests are ignored as Madoka continues until Homura suddenly grabs her wrists, the movement throwing Madoka off balance and she ends up falling on top of Homura.

"Eek!" this time it's Madoka who lets out a squeak as her face is unexpectedly on Homura's chest.

Homura blushes at the contact and immediately lets go and Madoka scrambles off her.

"S-Sorry," Madoka apologizes with a flushed face and Homura shakes her head.

"N-No, it was my fault... s-sorry."

"Ehehe!" Takkun laughs at the two girls and then turns to his dad. "Papa!" he calls to his dad who had seen everything.

Tomohisa smiles at them. "What is it, Takkun?" he says as he lets Madoka and Homura recover from their embarrassment.

"Let's play!" he tells him as he starts running over to the earlier abandoned ball.

"Sure, Takkun."

/

When Madoka glances at her phone for the tenth time in the last two minutes, Homura resists the urge to grab the thing and throw it outside; it's obvious that Madoka is waiting for Sayaka to contact her but she still has yet to receive a phone call or text and it's driving both of them crazy but for different reasons.

A glance at her phone again and Homura can't help the sigh that escapes from her mouth.

Madoka looks at her with a small smile. "I'm sorry, I-I'm just worried about Sayaka-chan..."

Homura places her pencil down knowing that Madoka is definitely not concentrating on homework at this point.

"I mean, I wonder... how it went..." the smaller girl fidgets nervously as she barely manages to stop her eyes from zeroing in on her phone once more.

Homura thinks briefly. "Do you think Kamijou Kyousuke will return her feelings?"

Madoka's eyes widen at the question. "Kamijou-kun...? And Sayaka-chan...?" Her voice trails off as she thinks about it. Homura's only really slightly curious, but it at least stops Madoka from staring at her phone, if only for a few moments. "I-I don't know really," Madoka finally answers. "I'm not as close to Kamijou-kun as Sayaka-chan is...so it's kind of hard to say..."

Homura nods; Madoka had most likely never gotten that close to Kyousuke due to Sayaka's personal feelings.

Suddenly, Homura feels something buzzing through the air and she quickly clamps her hands on top of her head as her ears pop out.

Madoka blinks and then her face pales as she looks to Homura in fear. Homura shakes her head as she tries to hide her ears but there's too much magical energy in the air.

"Kitty!" Takkun yells out as he catches sight of the black tail behind Homura and she quickly tries to hide it but the action leaves her ears exposed.

Madoka gasps when she hears the door opening and her mom's voice and she roughly grabs Homura and pulls her down so that her face is in Madoka's lap and is hidden from plain view.

"M-Madoka!?"

"Kitty!"

"I'm home!"

Homura freezes when she notices Junko's voice and Madoka hurriedly places her hands on top of Homura's ears.

"P-Put them away, Homura-chan!" she whispers frantically and Homura squeezes her eyes shut as she tries to fight past the magic that's still thrumming through the air.

"Ahh," Junko blinks when she sees Madoka looking suspicious and hiding something under the table. "Madoka?" She's about to ask where Homura is when Takkun tackles her.

"Mama!" Takkun holds out a piece of paper to her. "Maroka drew this!"

"Oh did she?" Junko asks as she bends down to examine the drawing; it's a picture of the five of them, including Homura walking through the park. Like everything her daughter did, it was cute. "Very cute, Takkun!"

"Yeah!" Takkun nods.

"H-Homura-chan," Madoka keeps her voice low. "A-Are you done yet?" Madoka glances down, moving her hands away hesitantly and immediately moves them back when she sees the ears are still there.

"Madoka? Where's Homura?" Junko asks as she steps closer to see what Madoka is hiding.

"Ahhh? H-Homura-chan? U-Uhm... Homura-chan is..." Madoka tries her best to not look down but her eyes are drawn to the girl in her lap and Junko raises an eyebrow.

Suddenly, Homura sits back up. "S-Surprise..."

Junko blinks at Homura's lukewarm delivery and scratches her head as Takkun giggles. "It should be more...exciting than that, Homura," Junko merely tells her as she shakes her head. "Plus, you were giving everything away, Madoka."

"Ehehe," Madoka scratches her cheek and Homura merely seems embarrassed.

"Next time, you should hide in the hallway or something, and when someone walks by, your voice should be louder so that you can really scare them, Homura!"

"O-Okay," Homura nods at the advice.

Junko ruffles Takkun's hair and then straightens up. "Mama's going to change into something more comfortable and then you can show me what else you drew today, Takkun!"

"Okay, Mama!" the little boy agrees before he parks himself in front of the screen again with his favourite cartoon playing.

Madoka quickly grabs her notebook and scribbles something on it, gesturing to Homura.

'Is it a witch? What happened?'

Homura shakes her head and grabs her pencil to jot down her answer under Madoka's.

'No, it was a different reaction. Miki Sayaka made her wish.'

Madoka rereads the sentence and then stares at Homura before reaching for her phone; no new messages.

Why didn't Sayaka contact her...?

\\

She's weightless—or at least that's what it feels like when she weaves through all the little random familiars that stand in between her and the witch. She pulls back and slashes at a few that are in her range as she continues to run closer and closer and then she's leaping, high, higher than ever and there's a vague sense of pain as something grazes her shoulder but she ignores it and then it's gone.

Faster and closer and then she's concentrating on her sword, stretching, extending the blade until its twice the size as her and then she's running, running straight through the witch, in and then out.

Done and gone.

So why did everything still feel so dark and why was something gripping her heart so tightly?

Why did everything hurt so badly?

The witch's barrier slowly disappears around her but she merely collapses onto her knees as her own transformation fades away.

She should be happy—but for some reason all she wants to do is cry.

"Miki-san," a calm voice breaks through her daze and she glances up, surprised to see Mami peering over her.

"M-Mami-san...?" Sayaka is confused as the older girl helps her to her feet.

"Do you have any grief seeds?" Mami merely asks and Sayaka gives a small nod before pulling one out of her pocket. "Please use it, Miki-san."

Sayaka stares at the grey object in her hands blankly.

"Miki-san."

It's the tone of Mami's voice that sends her moving and she summons her soul gem into her hand and then gentle fingers are pressing the seed next to the blue jewel and she watches as it absorbs the swirling darkness. Suddenly her mind is clear and she can think again.

"Are you feeling better now?" Mami asks her as she takes the used grief and stores it away in her pocket.

"Y-Yeah," Sayaka nods and this time she looks embarrassed at having Mami bear witness to her moment of weakness. "W-What are you doing here?" she asks instead.

Mami looks around and then tilts her head, gesturing for Sayaka to follow her, and they both start a slow walk to somewhere else. "I received a message from Kaname-san, though I suppose it's better to say Akemi-san told Kaname-san to send me a message." She smiles at Sayaka as she continues to lead them through the barely lit streets. "She told me you might need help and to 'follow the path of destruction' and that I would find you at the end of it. I wasn't quite sure what she meant until I noticed that some familiars I was planning on dealing with today disappeared."

Sayaka rolls her eyes; figures that the transfer student was keeping an eye on her.

An expert of the streets in Mitakihara, Mami leads Sayaka through a darkened alleyway that makes the other girl nervous, but the path opens up and they find themselves in front of one of the smaller shopping districts.

"Please take a seat, Miki-san," Mami nods over to one of the public benches that has obviously seen better days. "Will hot tea be alright with you?"

"Uh... y-yeah," Sayaka agrees and Mami gestures once more to the bench before heading over the vending machine nearby.

Sayaka follows as directed and after making sure the strange stain in the bench is permanent and won't ruin her skirt, she takes a hesitant seat as she waits for Mami to return.

The area around them is quiet and it's the first time that Sayaka realizes that although she has lived in Mitakihara all her life, she really knows nothing about these little pockets that exist outside of her usual path.

It distracts her for a moment, but then her thoughts draw back to this afternoon and her heart clenches and something passes over her eyes but suddenly there's a steaming hot cup of tea held out in front of her.

"Here you go, Miki-san. The selection here is smaller than I had hoped; I hope Oolong will be alright?"

"A-ah...y-yeah, t-that's fine..." Sayaka takes the tea and when her hands wrap around the cup, she realizes how cold she really is and brings it closer to her body for warmth.

Mami merely takes a seat next to her and they both sip their drinks in companionable silence; Mami, waiting for Sayaka to collect her thoughts while Sayaka dreads the inevitable that is bound to be asked.

Halfway done with her tea and Mami sighs softly when Sayaka continues to remain silent. She is the older one here and she supposes she will be the one to rip the band aid off.

"I take it that your confession didn't go quite as planned?" Mami asks as Sayaka cringes in response.

"...Y-yeah...kind of..."

"...sometimes it's better to talk about things than to hold it all in."

Sayaka tightens her grip on her cup and the paper crinkles slightly. She wants to yell at Mami; yell at Homura. Yell at the world. In a bout of frustration, she grabs her tea and throws it straight across street. They watch as the liquid spills from the cup, creating an arch of tea before spilling onto the floor. There's a light hollow sound as the paper cup bounces off the cement before rolling in a circle and coming to a stop after another half rotation.

"Miki-san..."

Sayaka laughs suddenly though her laughter quickly turns to sobs as she retakes her seat and places her face in her hands.

"...I couldn't tell him," she whispers but then there's another bitter laugh. "After all that bravado... I couldn't even tell him!"

Mami is quiet and merely pulls out an unused grief seed. "Miki-san, show me your soul gem."

Sayaka feels sudden anger and struggles to keep from blowing up at the other girl.

"Miki-san."

Sayaka clenches her hands into fists but she obediently holds out her left hand and re-summons her darkening soul gem. Mami doesn't say a word and merely fills the new grief seed and pockets it once more when Sayaka's soul gem is clean again.

They're quiet as Sayaka keeps her soul gem out instead of returning it to its ring form.

Mami glances up at the night sky before turning back to Sayaka.

"Miki-san, I'm sorry; someone should've been there to support you..."

Sayaka is silent and sighs softly. "...No, like I told you earlier, I wanted to do it on my own, especially if he ended up rejecting me... and I was really determined to tell him, you know? But today... he found out he could never play again. He ... he told me that he's _useless_, that he has no purpose in life... that he wished he had died instead of suffering like this... I couldn't... not after all that..."

They're quiet and Mami stares up to the endless sky.

"...Are you giving up?"

Sayaka turns to her in confusion.

"Your confession to him... you can still tell him."

She shakes her head. "No... I can't... not anymore..."

Hands are on her shoulder and she finds herself staring into fierce golden eyes. "Miki-san! You cannot give up so easily! As you are now, your regrets and feelings are poison to you; the more you hold off telling Kamijou-kun how you feel, the more it'll hurt you in the end. You _need_ to tell him."

Sayaka closes her eyes. "...I'm scared, Mami-san."

"You are strong, Miki-san. And we will be here—your friends will be here to support you and help you get through this."

"Mami-san...what if...what if..." Sayaka swallows heavily. "...What if I find out that I really made my wish so that he would fall in love with me...?"

Sayaka opens her eyes to see those warm eyes still on her.

"Did you?"

"...I don't know..." she whispers. "I want to save him, but I also want..."

"...Then we figure out how you really feel and take it one day at a time."

Sayaka bows her head. Like Homura has told her, she's a fool.

"...I don't want to die, Mami-san..."

"You will not die, Miki-san!"

"...But I couldn't... I had to save Kyousuke, you know? I had no choice..."

Fingers dig into her shoulders and the pain breaks through Sayaka's haze.

"Listen to me, Miki-san. You will live. You will not turn into a witch. You will tell Kamijou-kun that you love him. You will survive this—or else I will kill you myself."

Sayaka's eyes widen and finds those golden eyes are no longer friendly and warm.

"M-Mami-san...?"

"Magical girls are not martyrs," Mami tells her vehemently. "We are not sacrifices to the universe; we are protectors of those who cannot defend themselves. We only turn into witches if we give up, and _you are not giving up," _fingers tighten in emphasis and Sayaka winces in pain. "Repeat after me, Miki-san. 'I am not giving up.'"

Sayaka can only stare and sharp fingernails can be felt through the fabric of her uniform. "...I am not giving up," she repeats.

"'I will not turn into a witch.'"

"I will not turn into a witch."

"'I will confess to Kyousuke.'"

"I will confess to Kyousuke."

The pressure on her shoulders is lifted and Mami gives her her usual smile. "See? Now that wasn't too bad, was it?"

Sayaka nods numbly. "Y-Yes, Mami-san..."

\\

"..Homura-chan?"

It is close to 11:30pm now and the two of them are in bed after receiving the news from Mami 30 minutes ago that Sayaka is doing fine and that they shouldn't worry about her, at least for now.

"Mm..?" Madoka can hear the sleepiness in Homura's voice and feels guilty for waking her up. There's a shift of the blankets and through the bright moonlight, Madoka can see a head of dark hair poking out from under the blankets as Homura draws herself up to look at the other girl. "What's wrong, Madoka?"

"Ah... I'm sorry, were you falling asleep?"

"It's fine, what's wrong?" Homura sounds more awake now, obviously worried about Madoka.

"Mm, nothing—just..." she sighs. She knows that Homura is waiting for a reply and she voices her thoughts. "Kamijou-kun probably turned Sayaka-chan down, huh?"

Contact from Sayaka had been brief but Homura can already assume...

"...Yes."

Knowing how much Sayaka liked Kyousuke made Madoka's heart hurt for her best friend and she wonders how she can comfort her.

"...Homura-chan?"

"Yes, Madoka?"

"...H-have you ever been in love?" Maybe if she could understand it better, she'd be able to offer better advice to Sayaka rather than a 'he just doesn't know what he's missing' or a 'don't worry, Sayaka-chan!'

Homura remains quiet long enough that Madoka wonders if she has fallen back to sleep. She turns and finds lavender eyes staring at her.

"...Homura-chan?" For some reason, her heart skips a beat.

Eyes glance away and Homura shifts until she's staring at the ceiling above.

"... I can't say if what I felt was really love," Homura states as her eyes gaze beyond the ceiling and into the past. "..but there was someone I really looked up to, a long, long time ago."

Madoka turns and searches for Homura's hand under the blankets, squeezing it once she finds it.

"W-What happened? I mean—are you—do you—" Madoka can't help the little bit of jealousy bubbling in her chest.

She's surprised when Homura turns to look at her with a rare smile and brings Madoka's hand close to her face, holding it gently against her cheek.

"Things happened, but I hope to one day thank her for everything she has done for me."

Something grips at her heart. "H-Homura-chan...?"

"We should sleep, Madoka," is all Homura says before she lets go of her hand and Madoka immediately misses the warmth. "Goodnight, Madoka."

"...goodnight, Homura-chan."

The bed shifts and Homura burrows further into the blankets while Madoka remains awake as she stares into the ceiling, searching for answers to her unanswered questions. Eventually her eyes close and she succumbs to sleep.

/

When Homura wakes later with the memory of gunshots echoing in her mind, she's barely choking back a sob as she finds warm hands circling around her.

"Shh, Homura-chan," Madoka whispers softly.

"K-Kaname-san...?" her voice is small and unsure and Madoka holds her tighter.

"It's okay, Homura-chan. I'm here," she reassures her.

"I-I'm sorry..."

"You're okay, Homura-chan. You're okay."

"I-I'm sorry, K-Kaname-san..." she sobs. "I-I didn't—I c-couldn't... I'm s-sorry..."

"I forgive you, Homura-chan. You tried your best, I know you did, so everything's okay. You're oka**y."**

* * *

**AN: **Ah, first off, thanks everyone for reading/reviewing! The influx of reviews by people makes me happy :) and I did say the chapters would be shorter. I forgot my numbering is off in the document manager, so starting from the next chapter onwards, **those** will be shorter. And if things in this chapter didn't make sense, I think it's because I don't know what I'm writing anymore. oops.

First, to address Passerby-A: it was more of a critique than a flame, though you did seem angry at my treatment of Homura and suddenly killing off her mom randomly but... timelines are random. What if the fact that Homura contacted her mom, was the cause of the accident? Set off a chain of unseen circumstances... really, with these AUs, anything is possible. Or maybe I just wanted to show the readers how close to the edge Homura is. I don't know. Being a magical girl is suffering.

As for Madoka's role... I'm not sure what you want her to do. What can she do? She can't really do anything; she can't make a contract. She can't be a magical girl. She can only really be support ;( I don't know what else she can be. (Maybe she will do something later)

And the awkward grammar is entirely my fault. As in, this is how I write and even when I re-read (which I do, I assure you) it looks correct to me. Awkward, maybe, but still understandable. You can point out the mistakes if you'd like...

Another person also mentioned that Sayaka wouldn't contract because she knows the truth about turning into a witch. I... disagree. She knows about wishes now and has a way to actually help Kyousuke. It's the first thing she thinks of really, when she's trying to decide what to wish for (her talking about wishing for riches or whatever doesn't count). After knowing this, and having to face Kyousuke everyday and seeing the way that he struggles through rehabilitation and his depression, I don't think she'd be able to handle the guilt of knowing she can save him and not doing so, despite the consequences. If that still doesn't sound believable, then I think I might not have an understanding of her character (which I admit, I really don't...) Regardless, in this story Sayaka still becomes a magical girl. I was originally going to have her confess to Kyousuke and then be rejected, but then this happened and there's the answer to Mami's 'stability' at knowing the truth. That... is an unexpected development as well.

What this means is that I need to change many things of what I've already written in future chapters... *Hiatus forever and starts a different story instead*


	11. reunion

**"H**eh, never thought I'd show my face around here again," a figure comments as she takes another bite from the stick of pocky hanging off her mouth. "So, what seems to be the problem, Kyuubey? You told me that something happened between you and Mami and now she's shut you out."

/Yes, Sakura Kyouko, that is correct. I'm afraid Mami is being influenced by another magical girl that has settled into Mitakihara. Akemi Homura. She's an irregular and continues to meddle with the balance of things in this region/

"Really? What'd she do?" Kyouko is curious as she finishes the one stick and pulls more pocky from her jacket pocket.

/Not only has she continuously interrupted my task in recruiting potential magical girls, but due to her interference, I am no longer able to collect spent grief seeds. As you know, used grief seeds are in danger of re-hatching into witches. I suspect she's planning on doing something with the grief seeds, perhaps a mass release of witches into the city once she has enough and she's dragging other girls into her schemes/

Kyouko draws in a sharp breath. "What? What kind of messed up girl is this?"

/I'm afraid anyone who interacts with her is corrupted by her magic that differs from normal. After contact with her, Mami is no longer talking to me and is also no longer depositing grief seeds to me. The most recent contracted girl is following in her footsteps as well/

Kyouko whistles softly. If straight-laced Mami is doing something like this then something definitely had to be wrong. She pauses. "What do you mean her magic is different?"

/She has physical manifestations of her powers on her body and though there's evidence to suggest that I was the one to make a contract with her, I have no recollection of doing such a thing. Her magic may come from an unknown source/

"Hmmm, interesting." She smirks into the night sky but her eyes glint dangerously. "So what you're saying is this Akemi girl is making a mockery of magical girls and needs to be taught a lesson. Heh. Sounds like fun."

/

There's something too saccharine about Sayaka as they walk to school the next morning and when she lets out another forced laugh, Madoka decides to step in and grabs her by the wrist.

"Sayaka-chan, please—"

Sayaka pulls her arm away, effectively cutting her off. She keeps her back to Madoka and stares straight ahead.

"Madoka. This is the only way I know how to deal—so," she turns and gives her a sad smile, "let me just pretend to be alright, okay? I'll be fine."

Madoka can only helplessly watch as Sayaka continues to walk ahead, intent on pretending like yesterday never happened. Hitomi looks conflicted but eventually she too lowers her head.

"We should go as well, Madoka-san," Hitomi tells her softly.

"...Okay, Hitomi-chan," she agrees and glances behind her to where Homura is following after them ever so diligently. The dark-haired girl notices her gaze and tilts her head in question. Madoka gives her a small smile and shakes her head before turning back around to join Hitomi as they move to catch up to Sayaka.

"Hurry up you slow pokes!" Sayaka shouts at them, seemingly like her usual self. The smile on her face however, and the movements of her waving arms are exaggerated; a lie.

It makes Madoka's heart hurt, to know yet unable to do anything.

\

Even though Sayaka makes faces at her when she catches Madoka staring, it's not the same.

Madoka's starting to realize that nothing will ever be the same.

Quiet classes and their dropped telepathic conversations can attest to this. Now that they have realized Kyuubey's true intentions, all of them have stopped associating with him. None of them want to deal with his misleading truths and his non lies by omissions. As the only non magical girl, Madoka can only talk to the others telepathically through him and they have decided that they won't bother with that anymore. They aren't sure what he'll do with the things he may overhear; if he'll try and twist their words somehow and do _something_.

Better safe than sorry.

They have also decided to stop giving him used grief seeds, effectively cutting off the need to see him again, ever. Instead, they're now storing them in these little tin containers that Homura seems to have an unlimited supply of and those are then hidden in her magical shield, disappearing into magical space, never to be seen again.

A lot of things have definitely changed within the past few days and as Madoka doodles in her notebook, she thinks back to yesterday and can't help but wonder what had really happened during Sayaka's confession. What had been Kyousuke's reason for turning her down... or if something else had happened somehow...

There's a lot of things that Madoka wants to ask and she resolves to find answers so that she can help Sayaka.

When the lunch bell finally chimes, she immediately puts her things away and turns to her childhood friend.

"I'm starving!" Sayaka tells her with a grin.

Madoka nods and though she is full of nervous energy, she decides to wait until they're in a more private setting to voice her thoughts.

Up on the roof, Sayaka is still smiling but still not all the way there and Homura wonders if she'll need to use a grief seed before school ends.

When there's a lull in conversation, Madoka looks to Sayaka with determination in her eyes.

"Sayaka-chan—"

"Hey, Hitomi?" Sayaka turns to Hitomi who blinks in surprise at being addressed so suddenly.

"Yes, Sayaka-san?"

"Did you understand what Fuyuno-sensei was saying about that poem earlier?"

"Ah..." Hitomi notices Madoka watching Sayaka and hesitantly answers. "Yes, the poem was referring to the change of seasons and how time seems to pass by when we least expect it."

Sayaka hums thoughtfully. "That makes more sense than what he was saying! Man, you're always great at explaining this kind of stuff!"

Madoka tries again. "Sayaka-chan—"

"But, I mean, why do we even have to learn that stuff anyways? Ancient Japanese is so...old, you know? That kind of stuff is kinda already phased out."

Hitomi places her bentou down and frowns at Sayaka's deliberate attempts at ignoring Madoka but answers nonetheless.

"It is a part of our history and culture..."

"I know," Sayaka tells her with a sigh. "But those words... no one even uses them anymore!"

Madoka grasps at her chopsticks in frustration and Homura offers her a box of strawberry milk.

"...Thank you, Homura-chan, but I still have the one you gave me earlier," she tells her as she gestures to the unopened one sitting by her side.

Sayaka continues to chat with Hitomi about schoolwork and as the tension continues to the build, Homura decides that she needs to end it, somehow. She wraps up her bentou before standing abruptly.

"Homura-chan?" Madoka peers up at her curiously.

"Madoka, I'm going to go to the classroom first," Homura tells her and without waiting for a reply, she grabs Sayaka by the arm and forces her from her seat. "Miki Sayaka, come with me."

"H-hey!" Sayaka tries to protest but when she sees Mami looking at her, she sighs before packing up her half eaten bentou and follows after Homura.

She is lead towards the classrooms, noticing that the hallways are mostly empty due to lunch and when they're in front of their own class, Homura finally turns to her.

"How is your soul gem?" Her words are as blunt and straight to the point as ever.

Sayaka glances around, making sure they really are alone before she summons her soul gem for Homura to see.

It's brighter than expected and she nods in approval before Sayaka sends it back to her finger.

"Aww, is the transfer student worried about Sayaka-chan?" Sayaka teases and Homura merely ignores her, pivoting on her foot and flicking her hair behind her. She enters the classroom with Sayaka trailing after her. "I told you—that I'd be fine," Sayaka tells her as the fake humor drops from her voice. She debates her next words and then sighs. "...Thanks for sending Mami-san after me though. I... was in a bad place yesterday."

Homura is surprised at her honesty and glances her way before nodding.

And then Sayaka gives her a real grin this time. "Seriously, if you had been the one to find me, I probably would've tried stabbing you, transfer student. Though, that might be good therapy or something..." she seems almost wistful.

Homura stares at her before continuing her walk to her seat. "You are welcomed to try, Miki Sayaka. Even after all your attempts, you have yet to succeed once."

Sayaka blinks. "When have I—"

The bell chimes and drowns out her question and when Madoka and Hitomi enter the classroom they find Sayaka staring at Homura's back with a puzzled expression.

She catches their worried looks though, and to their relief, throws them a smile that looks less strained and more... normal, somehow.

/

"Are you sure we should go first, Homura-chan?" Madoka asks as she casts a worried look both to Homura and Sayaka.

"Yes, I just want to teach her a few basics and then we'll join you," Homura says as she waves her off.

"Are you sure I shouldn't come along as well, Akemi-san?" Mami tries to insist in assisting in Sayaka's 'magical girl lesson' but Homura is adamant as she shakes her head.

"We won't be long; you two can go first."

Mami and Madoka share a dubious look before they concede.

"Okay...uhm... we'll see you soon, Homura-chan, Sayaka-chan." Madoka pauses. "Be careful." She gives Homura a pointed look and the other girl nods.

"Don't do anything reckless, you two," Mami warns them and then the two head off to Mami's apartment while Homura and Sayaka watch until they turn the corner.

Sayaka is thinking about last night and Mami's pep talk and she turns to Homura, questions shifting through her mind.

"Hey... are you sure, it's uhm... that is, Mami-san..." Sayaka struggles with her words and Homura waits for her to voice her thoughts. "Uh..." Sayaka scratches her cheek nervously and shakes her head. "Never mind. So, I don't understand what you want to 'teach me' or whatever, but Mami-san... already taught me stuff yesterday. Unless you're going to teach me about my weapons? But aren't you the wrong person to ask anyways? I don't think I've ever seen you pull out a sword from that shield of yours..."

Homura wonders what Sayaka was about to ask her and gives the other girl an evaluating look.

"...Did something happen with Tomoe Mami yesterday?"

Sayaka flinches and she places her hands on her hips. "W-What makes you think that?"

"You are a horrible liar, Miki Sayaka."

Sayaka frowns at her. "Well sorry, not everyone can be an emotionless robot like you." She thinks briefly and amends her words. "...Most of the time."

"Regardless, is there something about Tomoe Mami that should be addressed?"

Sayaka shrugs. It... wasn't like Mami had actually done anything, really, besides save Sayaka from turning into a witch. Her words had been unsettling, of course, but she had a reason to say them and they had helped snap her out of her depression. And after that heart-warming conversation, they had carried on like normal, proceeding to patrol around the city with Mami pointing out things like the reliable senpai she truly is...

"...Was just wondering what kind of snacks Mami-san made for today, that's all," Sayaka lies.

Homura sighs but lets the subject drop. She has better things to do right now and the issue with Mami and Sayaka will have to wait.

"... To answer your earlier question," Homura tells her as she crosses her arms across her chest, eyes staring into the distance. "There are some things you do need to be taught but now is not the right time to teach you."

Sayaka blinks. "Huh...?"

Homura turns to her. "There is another magical girl in the city—and I have suspicions that she is being manipulated by Kyuubey."

Sayaka's eyes widen. "Wait, what? Another magical girl? Shouldn't we, I don't know, stick together just in case she tries to attack us? Especially if she's working for Kyuubey? We need to warn Mami-san and Madoka—"

Homura waves off her concern. "Though I say manipulated, it's not like she isn't someone to see reason. She will also avoid Tomoe Mami for the time being, so they are safe for now."

"How can you be so sure?" Sayaka demands. She's starting to get real tired of Homura's weird puzzles and the fact that she seemingly knows everything.

"Hm," Homura debates telling her the truth and figures that a little knowledge wouldn't hurt. "The girl we are about to meet, was once Tomoe Mami's partner; they both protected Mitakihara together, but something occurred, the details of which I'm hazy on, and they separated around a year ago."

Sayaka's eyes widen in surprise. "Mami-san had a partner...?"

"Unfortunately, she is similar to you. We may have to fight her first before she will see reason."

"Tell me what you really think of me, transfer student," Sayaka mutters before she stops to think for a moment. "Hey, does that mean you think I fight better than Mami-san? Since you know, I have these swords so you think I'm like, awesome or something." She puffs out her chest and grins. Never mind the fact that Homura has never seen her fight, now that she thinks about it...

Homura looks at her blankly. "No, I trust Tomoe Mami more to take care of Madoka. As for why you are here... Madoka would suspect something if I went off on my own. You are here for that reason only."

Sayaka sighs, deflating instantly. "Way to make a girl feel wanted, transfer student."

"Follow me, Miki Sayaka. We will meet her halfway," Homura tells her before leading her further into the cityscape.

/

Sayaka immediately jumps back when a large spear snakes down and embeds itself into the concrete in front of them. Homura is unaffected and remains rooted to the spot.

"Heh, so which one of you is 'Akemi Homura?'" a voice asks and they glance up to see a red haired girl peering down at them from the building top with fangs bared; Sayaka think she looks even more cat-like than Homura. "No matter," the mystery girl continues without even waiting for a reply. "I'll just find out after I beat some sense into the both of you!"

A flash of light and then Homura is transformed, ears and tails flickering in anticipation.

"Miki Sayaka, do not interfere," are her only words of warning before she disappears.

Sayaka can only blink before the irritation she usually feels at the other girl explodes and she transforms as well. There's a clash of metal on metal and she turns in surprise to see Homura and the mystery girl locked in a battle of shield versus spear and it's easy to see that Homura is losing.

When had they...?

Sayaka immediately summons her own sword in her hands and charges towards them.

\\

Though Homura had told Sayaka not to interfere, her thoughts are going a mile a minute as she tries to figure out a way to incapacitate Sakura Kyouko without decapitating her; all her weapons are meant to hurt and maim after all and she doesn't think a bullet-ridden Kyouko would be up for much conversation no matter how much food she bribes her with.

The easiest way to end it would be to knock her unconscious and then drag her to Mami's where they could talk in peace. Maybe she should've brought Mami instead after all. Her ribbons would've at least stopped her in her tracks.

Time magic it is then.

When the scenery turns grey, Homura immediately rushes behind the frozen girl and uses her arm to deliver a swift chop to the base of her neck before moving away.

When time resumes, however, Homura remembers why she always avoided physical confrontations with Sakura Kyouko, time magic or not.

Expecting her to fall unconscious is her first mistake.

Not having a backup plan is her second.

Though Kyouko stumbles at the hit, it only serves to add fire to the fuel and Homura suddenly finds angry eyes turning to her as Kyouko brings her arm down, weapon swinging back and heading straight for a surprised Homura.

She brings her shield up even as she casts for time to stop but just as her magic clicks into place, the sharp tip of the spear impacts her own metal shield and she doesn't know how, but it effectively disrupts her magic and she finds herself defending against the full brunt of Kyouko's strength.

Melee and strength have never been Homura's main focus and she's once again reminded just how strong and fast Kyouko is when she tries to dodge but is intercepted and another attack against her shield sends her teeth rattling and her arm reeling as she tries to keep from being pushed back.

Kyouko's grinning at her with a feral grin. "Nice try, kitty cat."

Homura grits her teeth and her ears press down unconsciously as she struggles against Kyouko's brute strength.

"Ha! Sayaka-chan to the rescue!"

The two weapon locked girls part, jumping out of the way as a sword slashes down in between them with Sayaka stumbling in afterwards as her momentum keeps her moving forward. It's enough of a distraction and Homura quickly stops time once more.

Wincing at the new pain developing in her arm, she reaches into her shield and pulls out a grenade—forget any kind of hesitations, Kyouko is a monster at melee and she doubts this will even hurt her. She tugs off the pin and throws it, watching as the grenade hovers in the air before she runs to Sayaka and grabs her hand.

"W-Whoa!" Sayaka continues her pitch forward but Homura stops her and tugs her upright.

"Quick, we need to move." She keeps a firm grip on Sayaka's arm as they put distance between them and the ticking time bomb.

*click*

Sayaka gasps as the explosion rocks the area, sending dirt and dust into the air.

"W-What the hell was that!? You killed her?!"

"No," Homura says as she rubs at her now tingling arm absently, "something like that won't kill her."

"W-Wait!" Sayaka eyes widen as she remembers where they are. "Y-You used a bomb in a public area! W-What about all—"

"This district is slated for demolition next week."

Homura grabs Sayaka again and pulls her away as a familiar spears slams into the spot they had been standing on.

"Damn, you almost got me pretty good, kitty cat." Kyouko coughs as she steps out from the cloud of dust that's still gathered around the area. "Luckily I always have a reinforced barrier around my body."

Ah, that would explain why her usual KO hit hadn't worked.

Homura takes a moment to evaluate Kyouko's appearance: she has visible cuts on her body and there's wisps of smoke coming from charred pieces of her clothes but other than that, she looks fine.

Sayaka is surprised and a small part of her is slightly disappointed.

Homura remains quiet and reaches into her shield once more while Kyouko narrows her eyes at the movement. Sayaka automatically draws back, worried about more explosives and tenses when Homura pulls out something and chucks it at the opposing magical girl. Sharp crimson eyes take in the object and Sayaka immediately grips her sword tighter.

...And almost drops it in confusion when she sees the girl reach up to snatch the box of pocky from the air.

"...what?" Sayaka mutters.

"There's more where that came from," Homura tells Kyouko and suddenly they can hear the sirens around them; the explosion had obviously gained more attention than wanted. "We should leave before we are caught." She tilts her head and looks at Kyouko. "We have some friends we need to meet, would you like to come?"

Kyouko stares at the pocky and then back to Homura.

"There will be cake."

A grin appears on Kyouko's face. "Sure. Can never say no to free food."

Sayaka blinks but then Homura and the strange magical girl are leaving the scene and she can only follow after them.

\\

Madoka glances around nervously though when her sight falls upon the girl sitting next to her, she finds herself frowning in disapproval in a manner similar to the expression that Mami is also wearing. Apparently, Homura's 'magical lesson' had all been a ruse and she had merely wanted to confront this 'Sakura Kyouko' and Sayaka had merely been brought along for the ride.

Now they're sitting in a tense atmosphere as Sayaka glares at Kyouko who's working on her second slice of cheesecake while Mami frowns at Homura and Homura is, for some reason, ignoring her glass of milk.

"Ahh," Kyouko finishes the last bite, making sure to scrape the plate clean before she turns to Mami. "Your cooking's gotten better, Mami."

Mami blinks in surprise. "A-Ah, thank you, Sakura-san."

"SO, transfer student, are you finally going to explain why you invited this..." Sayaka stares at the other girl for a second, "...street rat?"

Kyouko narrows her eyes at the insult. "You wanna take this outside, blueberry? I can easily wipe the floor with you—maybe help you get rid of that novice stink."

"W-What!?" Sayaka slams her hand onto the table and the dishware clinks to Mami's disapproval.

"Miki-san, Sakura-san, please," Mami's voice manages to diffuse the situation though they continue to glare at each other across the table. "Akemi-san?" Mami turns to Homura. "Although I am glad to welcome Sakura-san into my house, I assume there is a reason you invited her to join us?"

Homura, who has remained quiet, nods. "Yes. But first, I need to use the restroom; please excuse me."

The other four girls watch as Homura stands and heads towards the bathroom, entirely ignoring the escalating situation and Mami decides to at least fill the silence with small talk.

"Sakura-san... how have you been?"

Kyouko scratches her cheek and leans back on her arms. "Eh, you know, same ol' same ol. You?"

Mami reaches for her teacup. "Same, as well." She takes a sip. "Are you still stationed in Kazamino?"

"Eh, you know me," Kyouko shrugs as she gestures to nothing. "Can't stay at one place too long; I actually got back 'bout a week ago."

"Oh?"

As Kyouko and Mami continue their awkward idle chit chat, Sayaka and Madoka share a look. Sayaka is wondering what happened to drive the two apart while Madoka is wondering why these two supposed friends seemed more like strangers.

/

Homura shuts the door behind her and locks it before she finally drops her mask and winces at the pain in her arm. She slowly flexes her left hand to determine the damage. Slight movement sends sharp waves of pain up and down her arm and she suspects that there are hairline fractures in her bones; Sakura Kyouko and her brute strength really can't be underestimated. Good thing she is on their side.

Or... will be.

She sighs, knowing that Mami and Kyouko will most likely notice her use of magic but she has no choice and summons her soul gem into her hand as her ears and tail show up like always. She concentrates on at least making the pain tolerable and when she can finally move her hand comfortably, her soul gem is visibly darker and too much time has passed for her liking.

Regardless, she flushes to keep appearances and then washes her hands.

"Did the transfer student eat something bad?" Sayaka asks as she looks to Madoka.

Madoka shakes her head. "We had the same things in our bentou and I'm fine..."

"Maybe all that milk is finally getting to her," Sayaka comments and then frowns when she hears a snore from the now napping Kyouko; waiting for Homura had taken too long and she had said to wake her when she returns. Whether it can attest to her belief in her own abilities, the fact that she doesn't think they are threats or that she still thinks of Mami as an ally, no one can say.

But finally, Homura emerges from the bathroom and takes her usual seat at the table.

"Everything alright there, transfer student?" Sayaka voices Madoka's concern though they notice when Mami turns expectant eyes towards Homura.

Homura knows that Mami definitely felt that surge of magic; Sayaka is still getting used to being a magical girl and having Mami, Homura and Kyouko all gathered in one area is most likely overloading her magical sensors. It'll be a while until she will be able to distinguish between the different signatures.

Kyouko yawns suddenly as she sits up. She had only been resting her eyes and hadn't really fallen asleep.

"Don't tell me you couldn't even feel that, novice?" Kyouko asks as she gives Sayaka an incredulous look.

"Feel what?" Sayaka glares at her in response.

"Heh, you really are green, or I guess in your case, blue?" she ignores the snarl Sayaka gives her. "She was using magic in the bathroom. Obviously her arm was bothering her so she went to heal it up." Kyouko pulls up her sleeve and flexes. Her arm is thin but there's muscle and she grins. "I play for keeps and kitty cat definitely felt that even though she blocked. She's lucky though, most of the time a hit like that sends the recipient to the hospital. I put _a lot_ of magic in my attacks; that shield is tougher than it looks."

Madoka frowns at Homura and Mami frowns at Kyouko.

"Is your arm okay, Homura-chan?" Madoka turns to her with worried eyes.

"Yes. As Sakura Kyouko stated, I healed it already, Madoka. I'm fine," she lies.

Madoka stares at her with narrowed eyes and scoots over so that she's right next to Homura. She ignores her protests, reaching over and pushing her sleeve up. The slight pressure hurts—but it's tolerable and other than a brief flinch, Homura's face gives nothing away as Madoka examines her arm for injuries.

"Should be all healed though; she used quite a bit of magic," Kyouko notes as Madoka continues to poke and prod Homura's arm. "Too much, maybe." She shrugs.

Here, Mami sighs. "Akemi-san's magic is a bit different from ours, Sakura-san. A large injury on her body could potentially be fatal if she doesn't have enough grief seeds on hand."

Her words cause Madoka to grip Homura's arm tighter and this time Homura bites back a whimper of pain.

"Huh, so Kyuubey wasn't lying about her magic being different," Kyouko notes as she gives Homura an evaluating look. "Are the other things he said true then too?"

Sayaka scoffs. "I wouldn't trust that white... thing if I were you."

"Hey," Kyouko gestures to everyone, "correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't we all magical girls? Not sure about kitty cat over there and pinkie is definitely non-magical, but, as far as I know, Kyuubey's the only one who can grant something like that. You know, that whole make a wish, get a contract thing? He's the reason some of us are still alive today," the teacup in Mami's hand shakes and Sayaka balls her hands into fists, "so, why wouldn't I trust Kyuubey? From what I hear, kitty cat is the one messing with the protocol."

As she talks, Homura bristles at the continuous use of the nickname Kyouko gives her. Even though it's similar to what Takkun calls her, the tone in Kyouko's voice is more mocking than of affection. She glances over to Madoka who's now absently staring at her arm but she can tell the smaller girl is visibly upset with talks of wishes and contracts, most likely thinking about things she shouldn't be thinking about. Homura hesitates briefly, knowing that they aren't alone but Madoka's well being has always been her priority so she pushes down her embarrassment.

Madoka blinks when she suddenly feels something brushing against her cheek and she turns to see a pair of cat ears in her line of vision.

She gives Homura a small smile, releasing the hold on her arm and instead placing her hands atop her head to stroke her ears.

Unaware of Madoka's earlier nervousness, Sayaka shakes her head at Kyouko. "I went into this knowing everything but the same can't be said for everyone else. Do you want to know why we don't trust Kyuubey and why we're avoiding him like the plague?" Kyouko raises her eyebrow. "Because we figured out where witches come from."

Kyouko blinks. "Seriously? So what, Kyuubey's worried that he's gonna be out of a job? That's why he went looking for me?" Kyouko shrugs. "Alright, I'll bite. So where do witches come from then? Is that why you're collecting used grief seeds—so you can do something with them?"

Mami decides to step in. "Sakura-san, do you know why we clean our soul gems?"

Kyouko gives Mami an incredulous look. "This kitty cat definitely did something to your head. Kyuubey taught us this stuff when we first contracted. The soul gem is the source of our power. If we don't clean it, we'll run out of magic."

"Heh," Sayaka looks at Kyouko and the red-head feels a wave of irritation. For some reason, she really wants to wipe the smug expression off of the other girl's face, preferably with something sharp.

"Miki-san..." Mami's voice sends a small shudder through Sayaka's body and she sighs, immediately dropping her air of arrogance. She shouldn't feel proud that she knows more about this than Kyouko. It's not something anyone should be proud to know...

"Sakura-san," Mami decides to cut to the chase, "a witch is a magical girl who has fallen into despair."

Madoka shuts her eyes and Homura instinctively leans in closer to comfort her.

Kyouko's eyes widen as she turns to Mami. "What...? What the hell are you talking about Mami. Witches... are born from curses... or whatever the hell Kyuubey said."

"Curses of a magical girl," Sayaka informs her. "Why do you think a soul gem needs to be cleaned? Why do you think we run out of magic when we don't? Why do you think grief seeds look so similar to soul gems...?" she pauses and lets Kyouko digest the information. "Can you see now why we don't want to deal with that _thing_ now?"

Kyouko slams a fist into Mami's table and this time it's enough to cause some of the milk from Homura's full cup to spill onto the table.

"..." It reminds Homura she still needs to drink her milk and both she and Mami level Kyouko with a glare that's ignored.

"Alright, give me a reason why I should believe you? I came here to hear your side of the story, but all I'm learning is that kitty cat is a nut job and she's done something to your minds. Why should I..." she looks around the room and as soon as her eyes lock onto Sayaka's her voice trails off as she feels something pass through her mind.

_—despairequaltothemiracle_—

"...what the hell was that?" she demands as she grabs her head.

Sayaka looks at her curiously before she shrugs. "That would be your reason."

Homura's tail flickers unconsciously as she takes this in. It seems that after so many repeats, everyone really is starting to remember certain things. Whether it was a good or bad thing, only time could tell.

_-youwitch!__—_

Kyouko pales and she places a shaking hand onto the table. "W-What the hell is this...? You mean we become the things we're supposed to kill...? That I'm going to eventually turn into a witch?!" Her voice continues to rise with each word and her body is moving out of her seat until a quiet voice cuts through her rant.

"No," Mami tells her. "You will _not_ become a witch, Sakura-san. None of us will." Mami's voice is calm and Kyouko blinks at her before sitting back down. "We _will_ live. We _will_ survive this."

Homura tenses immediately and straightens up, pulling away from Madoka to stare at Mami. It startles Madoka into opening her eyes. She notices the way Homura's ears and tail stand up and she reaches over to calm her down.

"...Homura-chan?" pink eyes glance at Mami but all she can see is the usual composed blonde.

Homura ignores her and lavender eyes watch Mami closely, looking for familiar signs.

Before anything happens however, Homura blinks as a feeling washes over her and Kyouko looks around a second later.

"It seems we will need to cut our reunion short, Sakura-san," Mami notes with regret in her voice.

"Yeah," Kyouko grunts though she doesn't make any attempt to move.

"...A witch?" Madoka guesses quietly as she runs a calming hand down Homura's back. She's at least glad that it seems to be working as Homura slowly relaxes under her touch.

Sayaka turns to her in surprise. "What? Where?"

Kyouko groans. "You are such a baby; someone like you won't last long."

Sayaka growls at her. "What did you call me?"

"I seem to recall you having trouble as well, Sakura-san," Mami states and to everyone's surprise, Kyouko blushes lightly.

"Well, I never was as bad as this girl," she mutters though they can sense that the fight has left her.

"Hmm," Mami suddenly smiles as an idea occurs to her. "You know, I think this would be a perfect opportunity for you to pass on your wisdom to your kouhai."

Kyouko stares at her. "My what?"

Mami calmly places her teacup down onto her table. "Your kouhai," she repeats. "Due to her inexperience, Miki-san has picked up a few unfortunate habits while fighting and seeing as you are also a melee combatant, Sakura-san, I believe it would be best for you two to work together and for you to teach her!"

Kyouko's mouth drops opens and Sayaka slams her hand onto the table, earning her another frown from Mami but this time she is too angry to notice.

"She is not my senpai!" Sayaka shouts as she points to Kyouko. "What could I possibly learn from this street rat?! How to inhale a cheesecake in thirty seconds!? How to finish a box of pocky without chewing!?"

Kyouko growls at her and her own hand joins the table, dishware clattering and Mami tries hard to calm her anger.

"As if I'd want to teach this novice anything! She probably doesn't even know how to wipe her own—"

Mami clears her throat angrily. "Sakura-san. I believe you have a witch you need to catch. Please take Miki-san with you."

"I don't—"

"Why should—"

"AHEM." Mami grits her teeth and gives them a warning smile.

"...You better not hold me back, novice." Kyouko grumbles as she stands.

"...Don't cry when I get the witch first, street rat," Sayaka tells her as she follows after her.

"And use the front door!" Mami shouts but the two are too absorbed in their glaring contest as they exit through Mami's balcony door.

Kyouko transforms and smirks at Sayaka. "Follow me, novice. Unless you're too chicken," she says as she leaps off the building, zig-zagging her weapon through the building walls to use as leverage to jump down.

Sayaka stares after her and quickly transforms. Kyouko is already grinning at her from below and she gulps nervously. At least there is no one watching them...

"Miki-san!" Mami tries to get her to stop but Sayaka ignores her and jumps off.

None of them know if she makes it and Madoka stares at the balcony in fear, frozen in her spot. She wants to check on Sayaka but is too afraid to see what had happened.

"...She should be fine," Homura tells her quietly. Her eyes are closed and she looks content as Madoka continues to trace soothing circles on her back.

Madoka nods hesitantly. If Homura said Sayaka was fine and Mami didn't seemed bothered at all, she had to be fine, right? Another glance to the balcony and then Madoka turns back to Mami.

"U-Uhm... are you sure they'll be okay, Mami-san? They... didn't seem to get along..."

Understatement of the year.

"They should be fine," Mami reassures her with a smile. She can hear the soft purr from Homura as Madoka absently reaches up to scratch her ears and she closes her eyes in amusement. "And if they aren't..."

Madoka can hear the threat in Mami's voice and nods. She glances over and can see Homura now peering at Mami curiously.

"Akemi-san?"

Ears twitch in response.

"You should drink your milk before it goes bad."

Homura immediately moves away from Madoka to grab her cup.

"Would you like more cheesecake, Kaname-san?" Mami asks as she watches Homura mop up the spilled portion of her drink with a nearby tissue before drinking her milk hurriedly.

"Uhm... S-Sure, Mami-san. Thank you..." she murmurs softly.

Mami moves to stand. "Would you like more milk, Akemi-san?"

Homura licks her lips and nods. "Yes, please."

"I'll be right back," Mami tells them, placing the empty plates, cups and used napkins onto a tray before heading to the kitchen.

"...Homura-chan." Madoka turns to the other girl who has moved on to eat her cheesecake.

Homura tilts her head curiously but the smaller girl shakes her head.

"N-Nothing..."

Madoka has no idea how to voice her sudden trepidations and places her hands in her lap. She suddenly misses the warmth from Homura and watches as the other girl takes another bite out of her cheesecake.

Will they really be okay...? Or is this the calm before the storm...**?**

* * *

**AN: **Here it is ! Kyouko is finally here~ As always, thanks for reading/reviews from the usual people :)

Passerby-A: You are welcomed to correct me, I have no fans but plenty of awkward grammar :) Constructive criticism is always welcomed as well. If I was really discouraged I would've stopped updating by now. I do like reading about things that other people may see that I may not. Makes me think about stuff and then I'll angrily write you a reply in the next AN.

Psykoakuma: I apologize, I reread your review and you didn't flat out say that, but I kind of lumped it together with Passerby-A's review stating that it is strange that Sayaka would want to contract. You two were saying similar (yet different) things so it kind of read as such. HomuMadoMadoHomu

Now, as you notice, the hiatus hasn't been issued yet, but that is because I still have parts written. However, I have kind of stopped working on this story though I am diligently editing the chapters so that things make sense. My interest is kind of not really here anymore however. for now I will try and continue my weekly updates. \[o.o]/ And.. yes this chapter is pretty long isn't it. T-The next one will be shorter :( If not, then chapter 15 will be short for sure. If not then chapter 20...

I rewatched a few episodes of the anime and *cries for Homura* where's her happy ending :(


	12. unsteady

**AN: **Warningsss and stuff. Kind of like chapter red on white warnings. Maybe a bit worse though... ... ... . maybe a bit more sad. don't say I didn't warn you.

* * *

"**A**nd that! Is how you do it!" Kyouko declares proudly as she slams the butt of her spear into the concrete.

As the barrier around them warps and disappears back into the dilapidated buildings found within the older districts, Kyouko discards her transformation and reaches into her jacket pocket for her usual box of pocky.

"Well, novice? Hope you were watching closely, maybe picked up some pointers," she smirks over to Sayaka who recalls her transformation as well.

"Eh, I've seen better," Sayaka shrugs nonchalantly and fakes a yawn. There's no way she's going to let Kyouko know that the other girl had impressed her and that her fighting style had scared her; it was raw and ruthless but very calculated and is everything that Sayaka wants to be. Now she's glad that Homura had been one to face off with her and isn't at all surprised she had been injured.

Kyouko is _good_.

Kyouko rolls her eyes and walks over to the grief seed that the witch had dropped. "Good thing it dropped one of these otherwise it would've been a waste of time. Alright, let's head back."

"Head back? To where?"

Kyouko glances at her as she pockets her new found loot. "Back to Mami's, duh."

Sayaka places a hand on her hip. "Really... so you're only going to kill one witch? Aren't you supposed to be 'teaching' me or something? Whatever." She doesn't wait for Kyouko to answer and summons her soul gem into her hand. "Since I'm already out here, I'm going to start patrolling."

Kyouko watches as she turns around and starts following a very faint trail. She had spotted it earlier on their way to subdued this witch and she had ignored it because she knew something that weak had to be a familiar.

Kyouko places a hand to her forehead and tilts her head up in exasperation. "Ugh. Of course you'd be exactly like Mami and waste your time on useless things like this." She sighs and quickly jogs over to the other girl who is now rounding the corner and disappearing from her view.

"Oy, bluey, wait up," Kyouko calls to her and Sayaka ignores her, strides widening as she tries to outpace the other girl. "I said wait, damn it!"

Sayaka glances behind her, angry words ready to be thrown and instead her eyes widen and she scrambles out of the way as a very pointy spear barely misses piercing through her shoulder.

"W-What the hell are you doing!?" Sayaka yells as she quickly turns around to face her opponent. She is surrounded by light and transformed a second later.

They're lucky they're in a very empty district.

Kyouko draws her weapon back into her soul gem and shrugs as she approaches her. "I told you to wait, you didn't, so I stopped you."

"...With your SPEAR?" Sayaka growls at her as she grips her sword in her hand. Her eyes narrow and she tenses as she watches Kyouko step closer.

"Yeah, I got you to stop, right?"

They stare at each other, eyes suspicious and body language tense when Kyouko suddenly smirks and pulls out her box of pocky.

"I'm way above your league and you know it. So cool your head already. Want one?" she tells her as she holds the snack out to Sayaka.

Sayaka narrows her eyes at the offered snack, insult on the tip of her tongue_. _She is tempted to knock the red box out of her hands but—

—_ifyouwastefood,I'llkillyou—_

—she shudders at the familiar threat and it's enough to knock some sense into her and she drops her transformation.

Kyouko watches her curiously, still holding out the pocky and she's surprised when Sayaka takes one.

"Thanks," she mutters and Kyouko nods before pulling out a stick for herself. "I'm still going after the familiar though," Sayaka tells her once she finishes her piece.

"You do remember what happens when we use too much magic, right?"

Sayaka dusts the crumbs from her fingers and nods. "Yeah, but it doesn't mean I'm gonna let those familiars run around killing people. You can go back to Mami-san's but I'm going after this first before I return." Her soul gem is re-summoned and she moves to follow the faint trail.

Kyouko debates for a moment and then sighs. "Ugh... hey, wait up, novice!"

This time Sayaka pauses and glances at her; she doesn't want another spear pointed at her after all. "Hurry up then, geez."

"You're so lucky you know Mami," Kyouko says under her breath as she hurries to catch up.

\\

Kyouko and Sayaka have yet to return and they have decided to work on their homework as they wait.

Madoka is completely distracted by things that seem more important than maths or science and she keeps sneaking glances to Homura who is breezing through her homework as indicated by the completed stacks of papers in front of her.

Mami is also concentrating on her report and Madoka seems to be the only one not actually getting any work done.

"Madoka."

Said girl jumps at the mention of her name and she accidentally bangs her knee against the underside of Mami's low coffee table.

"Ah," Mami blinks as her pencil carves a random line on her paper when the table moves and Madoka winces at the pain on her knee.

"Ouch..."

"I'm sorry, Madoka, I didn't mean to scare you. Are you alright?" Homura immediately reaches over and examines Madoka's leg for bruises.

Madoka blushes, both because of her earlier blunder and at Homura's intense stare. "I-I'm fine, Homura-chan. It's okay."

Homura ignores her, intent on making sure there are no lasting injuries. Madoka's high knee socks are in the way however, and her mind finally catches up to her body as she barely stops herself from reaching up to pull the fabric down. She glances up to Madoka who is staring at her red faced and she quickly moves her hands away and straightens up.

"I-If you say so..." Homura murmurs, light blush on her own cheeks as she stares at the table in front of her. "S-Sorry..."

Madoka swallows nervously and nods. "Y-Yeah. U-Uhm... w-why did you call me earlier, Homura-chan?"

Homura glances at her and then back to the table. "I wanted to ask if you needed help with the homework. You seem distracted and you have been having trouble with this chapter..."

"Ah..." Madoka blushes and then sighs softly. "I guess I'm just having trouble concentrating..."

Homura had obviously noticed and nods. "Maybe you should go home."

"Eh?" Madoka blinks in surprise and Mami glances at the two out of the corner of her eyes.

Homura moves to start packing her things. "There's really no reason for you to remain here and it will be good for you to have dinner with your family. Sakura Kyouko and Miki Sayaka will most likely take a while longer and I can walk you home and come back before they return."

"E-Eh? B-But Homura-chan... you're going on patrol tonight aren't you?" Not answering, Homura starts collecting Madoka's books, slipping them into Madoka's bag and she briefly wonders how Homura knows how she likes her things organized before she realizes she's being sent away. She quickly grabs her bag away from Homura. "Wait! Homura-chan!"

Homura stops and blinks at Madoka.

"You're going on patrol tonight, aren't you?" Madoka repeats and Homura nods.

"Yes, I have rested enough and we need to increase our collection of grief seeds."

"Then—"

"There really is no need for you to come along, Madoka. It's safer for you to stay at home anyways and as I said, it'll be good for you to have dinner with your family."

Madoka frowns. "But—"

"Come, Madoka, I will walk you home." Homura moves to stand and Madoka quickly pulls her back down.

"Wait, Homura-chan. A-Aren't you waiting for Kyouko-chan and Sayaka-chan to come back because you need to tell them something?"

Homura frowns this time and nods. "Yes."

"Can't I at least stay to hear what you need to tell them? I know it has something to do with... w-witches..."

Homura's eyes flicker to her briefly.

"Please, Homura-chan? You're...you're not deliberately trying to shut me out, are you?"

It's the hurt in her voice that has Homura relenting. "No..." she mumbles quietly. "I just thought you'd concentrate better at home. I'm sorry, Madoka."

Truthfully, that had been her plan all along but Madoka would eventually find out from Sayaka or Mami anyways and she guiltily bows her head.

Madoka blinks, immediately feeling bad and she reaches out and places a gentle hand atop Homura's head. "N-No, it's... Thank you for thinking about me, Homura-chan."

She runs her hand across where Homura's ears would be and Homura raises her head to look at her. Madoka smiles to show her there are no hard feelings and the way Homura peers at her as if she's asking for forgiveness has Madoka automatically reaching out and pulling her in for a hug.

Mami smiles to herself, thinking how cute her juniors are before she returns to her report.

/

In an act of desperation, Sayaka chucks one of her unlimited supplies of swords at the escaping familiar and is surprised when the attack follows through and stops the strange plane like creature short.

The illusions around her disappears and she wipes the sweat from her brow as she catches her breath.

For some reason her body feels heavy but she dismisses it.

"Geez, that was seriously sloppy. You're a melee fighter! Why are you throwing your swords around? If you wanna use projectiles go ask Mami how to make some guns!"

Sayaka sighs as her transformation disappears. "I know, alright? But it was getting away!"

Kyouko pulls out another box of pocky out from her pocket and tears it open. "Tch. You're not gonna last long if that's the best you can do."

Sayaka growls but she can't deny that she needs to work on her skills. "Whatever. I'll learn as I go along." She holds out her soul gem and catches whiff of another familiar nearby.

Before she can move though Kyouko is grabbing her hand roughly and Sayaka winces at the pressure on her wrist.

"Look at your soul gem! You're going to turn into a witch before you'll get a chance to fight another one!"

Sayaka pulls away. "What are you—" her voice trails off as she notices how dark her soul gem has gotten. "...huh."

A grief seed is placed besides her gem and as the darkness fades, her mind clears her body lightens and she blinks in surprise.

"You..."

Kyouko withdraws the grief seed and pockets it silently. "Your fast healing doesn't help you either. Because it's automatic you aren't able to keep track of just how much magic you are using until it's too late." She pokes Sayaka in the forehead. "Is there anything in that pretty little head of yours? Geez, no wonder Mami is worried about you, you damn novice."

The gratitude that Sayaka had felt is wiped clean and she just finds herself burdened by thoughts of her own weakness and decides she needs to move and do something or else she's going to be thinking about _things_ and without another word, she heads towards an alleyway.

Kyouko shakes her head and follows after her.

When they exit to the other side, Sayaka stops and takes a moment to take in their surroundings. They're at the spot where she and Mami had had their 'heart to heart' yesterday and she stares at the vending machine silently. A quick debate and she heads towards it, Kyouko trailing after her.

She scans the limited choices of drinks and is at least relieved to see that the vending machine accepts credits and dips into her skirt pocket to pull out her phone, transferring the needed money for a cup of hot tea. Before she can push the button though, a hand reaches out and chooses a bottle of juice and Sayaka narrows her eyes at her.

"Thanks," Kyouko tells her as she retrieves her drink and gives Sayaka a toothy grin.

There's a low grumble from Sayaka's throat before she adds more credits to purchase her intended drink and waits as the cup drops down before filling with the liquid.

Tea is now associated with Mami and it calms her down for some reason.

Cup of tea in hand, Sayaka heads towards the lonely bench in the district, vaguely noticing that a few shops are still open though the streets are just as abandoned as they had been last night; the area is dying and will most likely become another one of those places scheduled for demolition in the near future.

She takes a seat as Kyouko unceremoniously drops in next to her and Sayaka sighs before she takes her first sip.

The tea is bland and hot and is nothing like the ones that Mami prepares, but it drains out her anger and all that's left is an empty feeling that's just there.

"I know, you know?" The silence is broken by her words and Kyouko glances at her in mild surprise but looks away again. "That out of all of us, I'm the weakest... even Kyuubey mentioned that I had very little potential as a magical girl... and the one that has the most just happens to be my best friend..." Sayaka shakes her head. "I can't do anything right..."

She's referring to other _things_ and Kyouko takes a swig of juice before wiping her mouth with the sleeve of her jacket.

"Well, it's not like you completely suck."

Her words do little to comfort and almost seem to make things worse.

"Uh..." Kyouko scratches her head as she scrambles to amend her words. "I mean... everyone sucks at one point, right? So, you just gotta work on not sucking so much."

"What?" Sayaka looks at her, face a cross between confusion and annoyance.

"Like, practicing and working harder... things like that." There's a pause and Kyouko pulls out that box of pocky once more. "Want one?"

Sayaka sighs but takes one to humor the other girl and they munch on the thin cookie in silence.

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

"Can you teach me? How to fight..."

Kyouko glances at her before she leans back against the bench and stares into the sky, absently noting that the sun isn't as bright now and they need to return soon.

There's something about Sayaka that reminds her of herself—from long ago—and she shakes her head.

"Nah, I can't teach you."

Sayaka leans forward to rest her elbows on her knees and sighs. "...I see."

It only serves to drop the mood further and Kyouko scratches the back of her head. "I mean, uh... I'm kinda bad at explaining stuff." She shrugs. "I'd just yell your head off or something."

"Hm..."

It's a sharp difference to the earlier angry girl and Kyouko finds she prefers that one over this one, any day.

"Get up," Kyouko demands as she hops off the bench and roughly pulls Sayaka with her. "You're an idiot."

There's a spark of something in Sayaka's eyes and Kyouko smirks at her. "Yeah, go with that. Anger is better than feeling whatever you were feeling, isn't it?"

Sayaka blinks at her words and gives Kyouko an evaluating look. "Oh..." the way her mouth twists into a grin has Kyouko stepping back.

"What?" she glares at her, not at all liking the look on Sayaka's face.

"Nothing," Sayaka tells her even as the grin remains. She straightens up and she finally notices that she's slightly taller than Kyouko. "For someone who talks so big, it's amazing that you're so small," Sayaka says as she deliberately gestures between the two of them, making apparent the gap in their height.

"What!" Kyouko growls at her. "You're only a little bit taller," she scoffs.

Sayaka grins, this time crossing her arms across her chest, careful not to spill the drink in her hand. "Mmhmm... maybe if you didn't eat snacks all the time you'd actually grow a little bit."

"Tch," Kyouko clicks her tongue at her and pulls out another stick of pocky. "Tell that to pinkie and kitty cat. They're even smaller than me."

Sayaka suddenly finds herself laughing even though she knows she should at least be defending Madoka. But the bluntness and the truth and the strangeness in the whole situation sends her into fits of laughter and Kyouko watches her with a raised eyebrow.

When she's finally done, there's tears in her eyes and her stomach hurts but she feels lighter somehow.

She swipes at her eyes and gives Kyouko an honest smile. "Thanks, I needed that."

Kyouko shrugs, pocky crunching in her mouth and she shakes her head. "You're weird, you know that?"

Sayaka doesn't bother to reply and somehow manages to finish her now lukewarm tea and deposits the empty cup into the nearby trashcan.

"Alright!" she yells out suddenly and her voice echoes in the empty district. "I'm ready to kick that—"

There's a familiar chime and she blinks at the interruption. She quickly pulls out her phone and finds there are five messages from Madoka, something she hadn't noticed earlier and she immediately opens them.

"Ah... transfer student wants us back for some reason," Sayaka informs Kyouko who shrugs. "...like an hour ago."

Kyouko smirks at that. "And who's fault is that? Yeah, but we should get back anyways. Pretty sure Mami wants to make sure I didn't off you or something."

Sayaka rolls her eyes but thinks for a moment as she stares at her phone. "Hey, what's your mail address?"

"Ha?" Kyouko blinks at her and notices the phone in her hands. "Nah, I don't have something like that."

"Ah..." Sayaka suddenly remembers her earlier nickname for Kyouko and the guilt hits her hard. "Whoops, sorry," she apologizes awkwardly as she rubs the back of her head.

Kyouko shrugs and finishes her juice before throwing the bottle into the recycle bin. "Whatever. Let's head back. You know the way?"

Sayaka nods, slipping her phone back into her pocket. "Yeah."

"Good. Loser has to buy dinner," Kyouko tells her and suddenly she's jumping up onto a nearby brick wall and dashing away.

Sayaka stares after her, mouth agape even as Kyouko slowly becomes a distant speck and then she's quickly looking around before stomping her foot into the ground.

"Why you little..!" she growls and quickly takes off in a dead run towards Mami's apartment.

\\

"They're taking quite a while, aren't they?" Mami asks as she glances at the time. She is at least satisfied with her progress on her report as she has mostly finished with her rough draft. "Did Miki-san reply, Kaname-san?"

Madoka shakes her head as she double checks her phone. "No... do you think something happened to them...?" Her voice is worried and her hands absently continue her actions of petting the now sleeping Homura. She amends that thought though when she sees lavender eyes peering at her, no doubt reacting to the sound of her voice.

Currently, Homura is curled up next to Madoka, head in her lap, eyes closed and face content; her guilt from trying to lie to Madoka earlier had her trying to appease the girl by distracting her which had somehow lead to cat ears and gentle petting.

Not that either girl minds. And Mami doesn't seem to care either.

Homura's ears perk up suddenly and she sits up, shaking her head to clear the sleepiness away.

"They are returning," Homura informs Madoka who looks close to pouting at her sudden withdrawal. "...They are moving very quickly."

"Eh?" Madoka blinks in surprise while Mami concentrates harder to locate their signatures; Homura's range is really a lot broader than her own.

"Ah," Kyouko's familiar red signature is suddenly detected and she frowns slightly as she sees that they really are moving twice the speed of normal. Sayaka's own signature appears a few seconds later. "What are they doing...?" Mami rises to her feet, thoughts of preparing for a confrontation when Homura stops her.

"...I believe they are racing each other," Homura comments dryly; the Sayaka and Kyouko in the previous timeline had done this a lot and it almost disturbs her how similar their actions are. She involuntarily shudders and pushes those memories away.

Mami stares at Homura and exchanges a look with Madoka before settling back into her seat. "That... sounds rather plausible. Sakura-san is quite competitive..."

Madoka nods. "Sayaka-chan too."

To Madoka's disappointment, Homura hides her ears and tail and she can only wait impatiently as the other two magical girls watch a race that she cannot see.

Homura suddenly stands and walks over to Mami's balcony to slide open the door. Moments later, Kyouko comes crashing in and if Homura hadn't taken the initiative, everyone would've been picking out glass shards from their bodies.

Homura knows this very well.

"Yo. Thanks," Kyouko tells her with a grin and though she is breathing harder than normal, she merely plops into the seat she had occupied earlier. "Bluey isn't here yet?"

Everyone but Madoka knows that Kyouko is merely asking to make a point; they can feel Sayaka's magical signature as she runs up the stairs to reach Mami's high rise apartment.

Homura closes the door and calmly takes her seat besides Madoka and they wait for the last of their party to show up.

Minutes later, the front door is thrown open and Sayaka bursts in. "D-Did..." she struggles to gulp in air and swallows heavily. "D-DidImakeit?" she asks quickly but straightens when she sees Kyouko grinning at her, not at all out of breath and seemingly like she has been here for a while. "Ugh," Sayaka says as she collapses onto the floor.

"Sayaka-chan! Are you okay?!"

\\

After Sayaka downs two cups of water and recovers from her very impromptu race, they settle around the table and Homura clears her throat as she finally brings up the business that had been her original purpose for assembling them all together.

Now that Kyouko is finally in Mitakihara, she can start the rest of her plan to bring this timeline to become _the one_.

"I would like to tell you all the real reason for our meeting today. In two weeks time, a powerful witch, Walpurgisnacht will arrive in Mitakihara."

Blink.

"W-What?"

"What? I've never heard of Walpurgisnacht coming here!"

"Are you sure, Akemi-san? How do you know?"

"A W-Walpurga-what?"

Homura holds a hand out, stopping the sudden onslaught of questions. "Walpurgisnacht," she repeats the name for Madoka and Sayaka's benefit and then faces Mami. "Will definitely be arriving in two weeks. I have a reputable source."

"Seriously?" Kyouko looks torn between excited and wanting to get the hell out of here. "Well, that's your problem."

"Yes," Homura agrees. "Since you have no real ties here, Sakura Kyouko, you are welcomed to leave."

Sayaka throws Homura a betrayed look and then glares at Kyouko for some reason. Mami glances at Kyouko but remains quiet.

"However, if you are willing to help..." Homura digs out something from her pocket before throwing it to Kyouko and the others see a flash of metal before she catches it. "You can have my apartment."

Kyouko stares at the keys in her hand. "Yeah?"

"It's not much better than the motels you usually frequent, but at least you won't have to worry about getting caught."

"Hm. Alright." Kyouko kind of wonders how she knows that but nonetheless slips the keys into her jacket pocket. She can still leave anytime she wants but having a place to stay while she is here will be welcomed.

Mami glances again at Kyouko but her eyes remain guarded.

"Tomoe Mami, Miki Sayaka, this is a mere formality but are you two willing to help defeat Walpurgisnacht?"

Mami blinks and looks affronted. "O-Of course, Akemi-san! This city is still under my protection—it is a given that I would be at the front lines during an attack on my city."

Sayaka slams her hand into Mami's table earning her a disapproving look and she gives Mami an apologetic smile before turning back to Homura. "Ha! Try and stop me from helping, transfer student!"

Homura nods and lavender eyes cut to Kyouko. "Sakura Kyou—"

"W-Wait!" Madoka interrupts though she flinches when all eyes turn to her. "I-I mean, if... if this Wal..purgisnacht is so dangerous, shouldn't I—"

"Madoka." Homura locks eyes with the other girl. "You promised."

Madoka stares at Homura. "B-But that was—"

Homura waves her off. "No, your help won't be necessary. Us four will be enough to defeat Walpurgisnacht; someone like you shouldn't involve herself with this. You aren't needed."

Homura's attitude is a complete 180 from earlier and Madoka looks close to tears with Homura's sudden harsh words. She turns her eyes to the floor and blinks back the tears, once again reminded of her uselessness and barely manages to keep a sob from escaping. Sayaka glares at the dark-haired girl as Mami tries her best not to sigh at Homura's awful social skills.

Not at all noticing Madoka's predicament as her mind latches onto thoughts of defeating Walpurgisnacht, Homura turns to Kyouko.

"Sakura Kyouko? Will you stay?"

Kyouko shrugs. "Hm, yeah, I guess. Nothing better to do anyways."

Homura nods. "I will draw up plans for our attack and will present it in another meeting in a few days. In the meantime, the most we can do is stock up on grief seeds and hone our skills. Now, if you excuse me, I will walk Madoka home before we start on our patrol. Madoka."

Without waiting for the girl to reply, Homura grabs their bags and heads towards the exit. Madoka glances at her and then gets to her feet to follow.

"Madoka," Sayaka looks at her friend who merely gives her a watery smile and Sayaka feels like punching Homura but if she does, she will have to do it another day because the door is closing and the two girls are now gone.

"Hey Mami, got anything to eat?" Kyouko asks after a beat.

Mami sighs but nods. "Yes, I have some leftovers from last night's dinner, if you would like?"

"Cool. You're still buying me dinner though, bluey," Kyouko reminds Sayaka and the girl sighs in exasperation.

\\

*knock knock*

"Madoka? Are you still awake?"

Madoka glances up from the homework she had been trying to solve (it was so much easier when Homura was helping her but thoughts of the other girl brings back that ache in her heart and she pushes those thoughts away) and turns to the door.

"Yes Papa, come in."

Amy makes a sound of protest but remains curled up in a bundle of blankets on her desk and Madoka gives her a fond smile.

The door opens and Tomohisa peers inside. "Homura-chan isn't back yet?" he asks with a frown.

Madoka glances at him nervously. "N-No... she said she would be back soon..."

Her father gives her a stern look before sighing. "I need some help carrying your Mama inside."

"Ahh," Madoka immediately stands and follows her father out to the front.

"...If ya wanna drink so badly... you should drink by yourself.."

Tomohisa and Madoka share a smile and between the both of them, they manage to get Junko to her room in no time; they are used to it after all.

"Shall I make some hot cocoa, Madoka?"

"Sure, Papa. Thank you."

Madoka takes a seat at the dining room table and the house is quiet all around them except for the sounds of Tomohisa tinkering with cups for the cocoa preparations.

"Papa?"

"Hm, Madoka?" his back is facing her but he turns and she sees the always kind Papa in front of her.

"How come Mama works so hard at her job? Does she like working that much?"

"Hmm," he looks thoughtful. "Your Mama likes the idea of working—that is the idea that she's working hard towards a goal. She likes putting in the effort and seeing the outcome of all her hard work."

"A goal huh?" Madoka thinks. "Like becoming president of the company?"

Tomohisa smiles. "Well, something like that. When you work hard like your Mama, eventually there's going to be people who see your efforts; sometimes it's the recognition you get that makes everything worthwhile. Sometimes though, Madoka, it's the process of getting there that makes everything worthwhile. Starting from the bottom and working hard until you reach the top; that in itself is worth more than recognition. The you that you build as you learn, that's the thing that makes it worth it in the end."

"The you that you build..." Madoka repeats as she looks to her dad who gives her another smile. "I don't even know what kind of 'me' I want to be, Papa... But...I want to be stronger... somehow. Strong, like Mama."

If she was stronger, she could help Homura and everyone else, right?

Tomohisa gestures to the cocoa and Madoka nods and removes the cup from the flame. She leaves it on the table and lets it cool down a bit before drinking.

"There are different kinds of strengths, Madoka. You have plenty of time to figure out who you want to be. I think, for now, being 'strong, like Madoka' is good enough."

"Mm..." Madoka thinks about it briefly but a sound from the front door distracts her thoughts and they both turn.

There's a click, the sound of rustling and a minute later Homura is crossing the threshold and looks up in surprise when she notices the two in the kitchen.

Tomohisa looks at her and though his face is kind his eyes seem disappointed. "You are back quite late, Homura-chan," he tells her and Homura guiltily looks away.

"...Yes, I'm sorry."

"Luckily for you, Junko is already sleeping, but next time, please try to get back before midnight."

Homura stares at the floor. "... Yes, I'm sorry."

"Homura-chan." She looks to Tomohisa. "I know you're still getting used to this whole situation," his voice is gentle, "but please remember that it's no longer about yourself; if something were to happen to you, it wouldn't just affect you, but affect everyone else in this household. Do you understand?"

Homura fidgets with the edge of her skirt and bows her head lower. "Y-yes... I'm sorry."

Tomohisa smiles at her. "As long as you understand. Would you like some hot cocoa?"

Homura glances away and just so happens to cross gazes with Madoka.

"Papa's cocoa is really good, Homura-chan," Madoka tells her softly.

"A-Alright, thank you."

\\

As they prepare for bed, Madoka readjusts her blankets and turns to Homura; though it's dark she can still make out her figure through the peeking moonlight.

"D-Did something happen? For you to come home so late?"

Homura pauses at the word 'home' thinking how strange it is to refer to this place at such. "No," she denies. "I was merely trying to collect more grief seeds and lost track of time." Another pause. "It won't happen again."

"A-ah..." Madoka lowers herself onto the bed and hears Homura do the same. "Mm, it's a good thing Mama went out drinking tonight..."

Madoka hears more shifting as Homura tries to make herself more comfortable and she stares into the ceiling.

"Homura-chan?"

"Yes, Madoka?"

"S-Since we don't have school tomorrow, would you like to go somewhere...?"

"I'm sorry, Madoka," and her voice really sounds apologetic. "Tomorrow I will be training with the others and for the rest of the day we will be patrolling."

Madoka wonders if Homura is including her in those plans, but her next words has that ache in her heart growing.

"You should stay at home and spend time with your family, Madoka. Let us handle things. I'm sorry, I'm a bit tired. Goodnight Ma—"

"Homura-chan. I-Is..I mean—would it—can I..." she knows that Homura is looking at her and makes up her mind. "I would like to come along. Would that be okay?"

"...alright."

Madoka smiles to herself in the darkness. "Thank you, Homura-chan. We should get some sleep. What time are you meeting everyone?"

"Around one or so."

"Sounds good. Goodnight Homura-chan." Madoka turns to face the wall and closes her eyes.

"...goodnight Madoka."

\\

When Homura wakes up a few hours later, it is not with a sob or a cry. Her eyes merely open slowly and she stares at nothing even as her eyes automatically adjust to the darkness.

These are the worst kinds of nights.

They aren't filled with nightmares and memories and dreams and death and lost regrets; they're filled with a deep and painful emptiness that cuts straight to her soul.

These are the kind of nights which corrupt and darken her soul gem and always leaves her on the edge of oblivion and insanity.

She can see Madoka sleeping next to her; face peaceful and so reminiscent of days long past and she can't help but move further away from the sleeping girl, afraid that she'll set ruin to her future just by being close.

Maybe she already has.

She's careful as she extracts herself from the bed; Madoka seems to have some kind of second sense when Homura wakes up during the middle of the night and she merely settles for sitting on the floor instead of leaving the room.

It works and Madoka remains asleep.

Homura leans back and feels the bed frame dig uncomfortably into her spine but pays it no mind; there are more important things to worry about, such as the fact that she needs to quietly piece herself together again without waking Madoka or falling into despair.

There's a soft weight suddenly against her leg and Amy's there, headbutting her thigh to gain her attention.

Homura reaches out with unsteady hands and Amy lets her pet her even though her touch is neither gentle nor stable. Her hand twitches and she suddenly has a thought and she quickly pulls her hand back, disgusted with herself and Amy meows in protest but Homura ignores her as she tries to come to grips with her sanity.

She curls up her legs so that she can rest her head on her knees and rocks back and forth, trying to will the thoughts away. Her cat ears are out and twitching listlessly and Amy licks her fingers in concern.

She pushes her away.

There's a blankness to her mind and she knows she's falling fast. Even if she were to clean her soul gem the corruption won't stop until she can stave off the source. She's already had one close encounter turning into a witch, she definitely can't have that happening again.

"Homura-chan...?" Madoka's sleepy voice has her gripping her legs tighter and she internally begs for Madoka to go back to sleep. "Homura-chan?" Gentle hands are laid atop her head and she flinches from the contact, immediately pulling away. She shuts her eyes tightly, gritting her teeth and silently begs Madoka to stay away.

The light is switched on and it startles her into opening her eyes though she blinks at the brightness and suddenly Madoka is there, next to her and she can feel her warmth.

"N-No..." she shivers fearfully and slaps her hand away. "S-Stay away..."

"Homura-chan?"

She hears Amy meow and hands try to reach for her again and she shakes her head, backing away. "N-No...You... you always... why do you always do this?"

"...Homura-chan?"

"You... you always... why can't..." she chokes and she can't control it as she feels anger weigh over her heart, clouding over her mind.

"Homura-chan?"

And Madoka's gentle voice sets her off and suddenly she's on top of her and her hands are tight around her neck.

"You..." her voice is cold and raw and as Madoka struggles to breathe, she sees none of the Homura that she has slowly started to fall in love with and can only see anger and hard pain.

"H-Homu...ra-ch...an..." her vision is dropping even as she tries to reach for the girl who is obviously crying out for help.

But suddenly she can breathe and she's gasping for air and gripping her now sore neck.

Amy hisses and Madoka knows who her savior is. She sits up, coughing lightly and rubbing at her neck before ignoring all that as a sudden flash of light gains her attention.

Her eyes blink. Homura has transformed and is suddenly pulling something out of her shield and her heart drops to her stomach as the steel from the knife glints off the light but before she can even think about screaming for help her blood runs cold as she watches Homura stab herself in the leg.

She clamps her hands around her mouth, muting her cries and Homura is in her pajamas once more as she wavers on her feet before pitching forward and collapsing to the floor in front of Madoka's bed.

Madoka can only watch as the blood from her leg soaks her carpet and she curls into a ball, sobbing to herself quietly as her mind tries to figure out what had happened. Amy headbutts her in the leg and she reaches out with a trembling hand, gathering her in her arms and holding her close to her face.

"Homura-cha**n..."**

* * *

**AN: **Yeah... Uhm... that ending part. I would like to say for the record I did not write 'to eternity' to offset this chapter... this chapter is like a combination of something I wrote before and had to revise (ie. rewrite like most of it) after I changed things in the previous chapters and I wrote this after I wrote 'to eternity.' That is all.

Thanks for reviewing, you nice people you. I reread my story earlier to see if I can get back into it... and I wrote this chapter so still no hiatus yet. If I can get past this hugeeee writer's block that is like 10 chapters ahead, I might be able to finish the story. I don't know.

**metatalon**: happy endings do exist! wait, that sounds like a title of one of the episodes of PMMM... and we know how well that ended :( wellll. I actually like happy endings! so maybe something will happennn

**chimeraguard**: it's hard to twist an established universe... but I will try!

**Passerby-A**: Thanks for the long reviews for all the chapters! Seeing your thoughts and stuff at least lets me know that someone is kind of understanding some things I deliberately try to point out or something. I don't even know if I'm making sense, I'm really sleepy as I type this reply... Homura gets hurt allll the time in this fic. Everyyyy day (because almost every chapter is a new day). I think I'm trying to set a record to see how injured she can get without actually dying... maybe this is why people think this fic is so bleak. hm. Wait, no, the reason I wrote this fic was to have a Homura with cat-like traits... wonder how it turned out this way but I do really like cat Homura though.

As to Sayaka's confession, that will be addressed in the next chapter (I think.) and that Hitomi thing really came outta nowhere in the anime. When I first saw it I thought it happened because Sayaka made her wish to heal Kyousuke and then it turned her luck into minus so Hitomi suddenly fell in love with Kyousuke. Ha.

As for Kyouko... that's the main thing I understood about her... food is like the gateway to her heart. Mami... needs to watcheed. Then again I'm not sure which way she's gonna go. Thanks again for the encouraging wordss and I changed my typo in the other story 'weariness' oops, thanks for that. As for the cycles thing and how they know Homura and Madoka, well I figured since Sayaka existed in Madoka's world, Homura still existed as well since she didn't exactly become the embodiment of hope. I'm sure I can make something up but for now I will leave it open-ended and you can be as confused about as it you want :)

**Psykoakuma**: thanks for reviewing every chapter as well :) you two are like the main reviewers and I always like reading your thoughts/opinions. I'm glad the characterizations I have for everyone isn't too crazy or OOC or something. The story is unfolding and turning into a mess at this point! Grrr Homura, why are you so sad. Why did I make her so sad. Why was she made to be so sad!? Thanks for the advice though. I think my problem is the story gets too long and complicated. I should've just made this fic about Homura who acts like a cat and left it at that.


	13. teamwork

**S**he moves, hands twitching and there's something warm and comforting surrounding her. Sighing softly, she sounds almost content. The warmth stays and continues and the tightness around her neck starts fading away. She's reaching consciousness now and her eyes slowly flutter open. The first thing she sees in her vision is purple and she blinks sleepily, trying to focus on what's in front of her and wonders why her bed feels so uncomfortable.

She glances up and Homura is there, looming over her and suddenly everything comes crashing down; she remembers.

Her eyes widen and her first instinct is to get as far away as possible from the other girl. Her hand knocks into something hard and metal as she scrambles across the room. Her breathing and heartbeat is erratic from her panic as she now stares at Homura from besides her desk, effectively putting a good amount of distance in between them.

Homura's hand moves as if she wants to reach out but she forces it down and her eyes cast onto the floor. Her ears lay flat against her head and her tail is lying limp besides her. She bows her head, glancing briefly over to Madoka who's still watching her before lethargically getting to her feet. The fear she can sense from the smaller girl has her heart clenching in pain and she slowly walks over to their shared dresser, left leg dragging slightly from her semi healed injury.

Madoka stares and watches as Homura kneels carefully before opening the drawers. As her mind slowly calms, she takes note that Homura is already dressed for the day yet she's pulling out more clothes. Her range of vision is blocked from her position and she moves slightly to see what Homura is doing and when she spots that familiar green duffel, her chest tightens.

"...You..." her voice is rough and she places a hand to rub her neck. It's sore, though not as bad as she thought it would be.

Her voice gains Homura's attention and even from here, she can see the dark circles under her eyes and how awful she actually looks. She swallows heavily, ignoring the twinge of pain and clears her throat, ignoring that twinge as well.

"Y-You're leaving...?"

Homura lowers her head. "...I don't... I can't s-stay here..." she replies, the shirt in her hand crinkling as she clutches it tightly. "I... I might... I can't..." she shakes her head and quietly continues her task.

Madoka has no idea what she's feeling and though she knows she should tell her to stop, she can't. Her thoughts keep flashing to last night and she can't help it, she's scared. She's scared of _Homura_. Something she didn't think would ever be possible.

Not wanting to watch as Homura packs, her eyes glance around the room and when she spots her bed, her heart jumps as she remembers the blood—but she's surprised when the carpet is clean and there's no trace of crimson anywhere. She blinks, but no, the pain in her neck and the condition of Homura herself verifies that things had happened and she slowly stands to get a closer look.

With half her attention still warily on Homura, she approaches her bed and when she's close enough, she notices the carpet feels damp under her bare feet. She turns her head slightly to look back at the other girl who is now zipping her bag closed.

"D-Did..." lavender eyes look at her and she shudders slightly before pressing on, "did you clean the carpet?"

Homura nods. "...I was... I was t-trying to h-heal you... b-before I left..." Her stuttering has Madoka turning back to her and her worry pushes down her fear ever so slightly. "B-But..." Homura gestures aimlessly and Madoka understands.

She had woken up.

It's now that Madoka finally catches sight of something on the floor nearby and it takes her a moment to realize that it's Homura's soul gem. She blinks, the confusion of just seeing it lying there unattended abates her fear momentarily and she crouches to pick it up. It's cool to the touch and surprisingly bright despite Homura's obvious state of mind; she had most likely cleaned it but how many grief seeds had she used?

She feels Homura's gaze on her and as she holds the jewel, she realizes that she's pretty much holding Homura's soul in her hands. If she wanted to, she could break it and—

—the thought has her sick to her stomach and she shakes her head, trying to banish it away.

Homura is still watching her but Madoka is growing more alarmed by how calm Homura seems even though someone else is holding onto her life. Is it because Madoka is the one holding it... or is it because...?

She draws in a sharp breath, ignoring the pain in her neck and holds Homura's soul gem out in front of her. Her eyes remain on the other girl, watching her reaction as she closes her hand around the jewel, seemingly like she's about to crush it even though she knows(hopes) she's not strong enough to do so.

Regardless, Homura merely closes her eyes in obvious resignation and Madoka suddenly moves and clears the distance between them.

"W-Why..." She grits out and Homura flinches back in fear. "Why..!" she blinks back frustrated tears and angrily wipes them away.

Homura is staring at the floor. "I-I'm s-s-sorry..."

Madoka is quiet as she struggles to rein in her feelings. Her eyes take in the submissive Homura, the packed duffel besides her and she glances down to the soul gem that she's still holding in her hands.

It takes her a moment and she realizes that she's angry.

Really, truly, angry.

But at what or to whom, she's not quite sure.

She immediately drops down in front of Homura and the way the other girl jumps and then bows her head even lower makes her even angrier somehow.

"Homura-chan." Even she doesn't recognize her own voice—harsh and cold—and Homura whimpers at the sound, ears twitching lightly.

This close, and Madoka can see that Homura is visibly shaking. Her eyes quickly move to Homura's soul gem and she can see it darkening at an alarming rate and it feels like a bucket of ice water splashed against her heart.

_She _is making Homura fall.

"Homura-chan!"

Homura grabs her head in her hands and ducks down fearfully.

"Stop it!" Madoka reaches for her and pulls her close. "Stop it, stop it, Homura-chan. Please, snap out of it!" she whispers fiercely. "Please, Homura-chan, stop...!" she chokes and she realizes that she's crying. "Stop, please, Homura-chan..."

"I-I-I'm...s-s-sorry..."

She tightens her arms around Homura as hands clutch her desperately. "I forgive you, Homura-chan," she whispers, closing her eyes. It's true though. She does. Even though her neck still hurts and her heart thumps loudly in her chest; she forgives her. "I forgive you. P-Please... snap out of it. Please..."

"I-I-I'm s-s-sorry... s-so so s-sorry..."

\\

Madoka isn't sure how much time passes, just that Homura is still here and really, that's all that matters. Her hand gently strokes Homura's ears and the girl twitches lightly under her touch. They're lying on the floor now, with Homura curled on top of her, asleep, no doubt exhausted from yesterday and today.

Madoka knows exactly how she feels.

She glances down to Homura's soul gem that she's still cradling in her one free hand and though it's dark, there are still traces of purple peeking through. She stares at it, her own thoughts churning like the darkness spiraling in front of her eyes. She shifts lightly, careful not to jostle the sleeping girl and brings the gem close to her lips, pausing briefly before dropping a gentle kiss onto Homura's broken soul.

Her hand returns to her side and as she feels her own eyes drooping, there's a sound coming from the window and she turns her head to locate the source.

Amy.

Blinking, Madoka finally remembers that Amy has been absent through everything and she struggles to sit up even with Homura draped over her.

"Homura-chan...?" she doesn't really want to wake her up but seeing Amy there also reminds her of the time. Though Sundays usually started later in the Kaname household, being too late would make her parents start to worry and she really didn't want them walking in on...

Well, whatever this is.

"Homura-chan." Her hand moves down and she gently scratches her chin, earning her a soft purr. "Homura-chan," she repeats once more.

Madoka's voice has her stirring and she watches as Homura's ear twitches before her eyes open and she struggles to blink away the sleepiness.

Amy is getting impatient, however, and Madoka winces as she hears the scratching double in noise; she has a feeling that she'll need to spend some of her allowance repainting the window.

"Homura-chan? Can you get up? I need to let Amy in."

Homura jumps lightly, startled, and sits up, moving away from Madoka. "S-Sorry..." she apologizes and Madoka gives her a gentle pat on the head.

"It's fine," she tells her as she gets to her feet. Her body protests and groans from lying on the floor and her neck pulls uncomfortably but Amy's getting louder and she moves as quickly as possible over to the window to slide it open.

As soon as there's enough space for her, Amy hops in and Madoka smiles to her, watching her jump off the bed before padding over to Homura. She turns back to her window, completely pulling the curtains open and stares out into the late morning sky.

Despite how last night had ended and how the day had began, the weather looks picture perfect and she feels her heart lighten just from the view.

"Meow..."

"..."

"Meow."

"...i-is it?"

"Meow."

Despite how often she has heard their conversations, Madoka's lips twitch in amusement and she turns back to Homura and Amy. She can see that Homura has her head bowed, looking at something on the floor while Amy sits in front of her.

"Meow."

"...hm..."

"Meow."

Madoka sees Amy lower her head to push something forward.

"...t-that...sounds kind of good..."

"Meow."

Now very curious, Madoka steps closer to them and finally she can spot what Homura and Amy are looking at.

Sitting at Amy's feet is a very small field mouse that is still alive, if barely, as indicated by it's twitching feet.

"NO, Homura-chan!" Ignoring her sore body, Madoka quickly moves to intercept her and Homura pulls back at the sound of Madoka's voice. "No," she repeats as she crouches to place a hand on Homura's shoulder. "If you're hungry, Papa should already have food prepared."

Homura's ears twitch and her eyes flicker to the mouse before looking at Madoka. "...I-I wasn't going to eat it..." she denies, voice trailing off.

"Meow."

Her hand moves.

"Don't you even dare, Homura-chan," Madoka tells her, voice firm. "If you want meat, we will get you meat—regular, _cooked_, meat," she emphasizes and tugs the other girl to her feet. "Come on, let's go get ready."

"Meow."

"NO."

"..."

\\

By the time they're done and presentable, it's close to lunchtime and when they wander out to the kitchen area, Junko has also joined the land of the living, though her eyes are bloodshot and she still looks rather tired.

"Well, look who finally woke up!" Junko comments and then puts a hand to her forehead. "Ahh... too loud."

"Morning Mama, Papa, Takkun," Madoka smiles at them as Homura trails behind her.

"...Morning..."

"Morning, Maroka! Kitty!"

"Takkun...not so loud..." Junko groans softly.

"Morning," Tomohisa smiles at them. "I'll get you girls some plates," he tells them as they take their seats and Amy jumps onto the table to join them. She already has a bowl of food out for her and she digs in eagerly.

Madoka briefly wonders what Amy had done with the mouse. When they had returned from the bathroom it was no longer there but she kind of already knows what had happened.

At least Homura hadn't eaten it...

"Any plans today?" Junko asks as she stifles a yawn before she reaches over to pet the grey cat fondly.

"Mm, we're going to meet up with Sayaka-chan and maybe do some shopping," Madoka answers easily, surprised that her voice remains steady as she openly lies to her mom.

Tomohisa hands her a plate of pasta and she passes it over to Homura who murmurs her own thanks as she accepts it.

"Sounds like fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Junko comments.

Homura and Madoka glance at each other.

"We won't."

Junko nods in approval.

/

Amy is left at home, busy playing with Takkun and when they leave the house, it is close to 1230pm.

As they walk to the abandoned parking lot that will serve as their temporary training grounds, Madoka has Homura's hand firmly grasped in her own. Homura's attempts at pulling away are met with glares and she eventually accepts the warmth almost guiltily.

After all, even though Madoka has forgiven her, she hasn't forgiven herself.

Their travel is quiet and when they finally arrive, Homura is suddenly hit with a wave of nostalgia as her eyes scour over the familiar landscape. Chained link fences and stacks of junked cars. Rusty old barrels and uneven piles of dirt. A place untouched and tucked away deep in one of the older districts.

A place where she had first taught herself how to use guns.

Her mind almost gets lost in the memories but she manages to barely pull away as she leads Madoka further inside.

Only a few minutes pass and then Mami joins them with a smile and a wave. If she notices their subdued body language and their intertwined hands, she chooses to ignore it and she and Madoka chat idly as they wait for Kyouko and Sayaka to arrive.

Ten minutes later with two no shows, Madoka sends her friend a text and when she replies, Madoka tells Mami and Homura that Sayaka will be late. Kyouko has no phone and they assume she'll join them when she wants to.

Homura merely flicks her hair behind her and the two magical girls that are present transform and begin their practice while one non-magical girl finds a comfortable place to sit and observe.

\

It's less than an hour later and Madoka stifles her fourth yawn in a row. She can't help it. She's bored. And Sayaka and Kyouko have yet to arrive.

Though it had been her own insistence in attending this 'training session,' she sort of regrets not staying at home as she finds her worries about Homura's stability are unwarranted. As soon as the girl had transformed and had pulled a gun from her shield, the ever 'cool and mysterious' Homura had returned and there's nothing for her to do here as Mami and Homura continue to set up and then destroy their targets. Watching them practice at first had been interesting, but even that had lost its appeal after a while.

She does however, notice that Mami and Homura's styles are completely different. Whereas Homura is more methodical and subdued, Mami is flashier and more aggressive.

A reflection of their personalities.

The fifth yawn breaks through and as Madoka wipes away the bored tears from her eyes she decides that maybe she should just go home or maybe walk around town by herself.

She glances over at Mami and notices her throwing Homura this look and the other girl stares at her for a moment. Mami says something, nodding to Madoka, and she can see Homura's ear twitch and her tail flicker before she nods, almost grudgingly.

"Kaname-san! Please come here?" Mami calls to her with a smile.

Madoka stands, stretching briefly before making her way over.

No doubt they have seen how bored she is and they're going to suggest for her to go home.

When she is close enough Mami is still smiling and Homura is looking at everywhere but her.

"Uhm, yes, Mami-san?"

"I was wondering if you've given it any thought?"

Madoka blinks, face completely bewildered. "U-Uhm. About what, Mami-san?"

Undeterred, Mami casts a look of disapproval to Homura. "Akemi-san didn't mention this to you yesterday? She left early so that she could catch you before you went to sleep."

At this, Madoka's eyes widen and she snaps her head towards Homura who is now staring at the floor, ears flat and tail flickering nervously.

"Homura-chan?" Madoka's voice has her flinching and she peers at Madoka with her head still bowed. "You came home very late yesterday..."

Homura nods, fidgeting with her sleeves.

"You told me you were collecting grief seeds..."

Homura nods again.

"Were you...?"

Homura ducks her head.

"Homura-chan...?"

She pauses and shakes her head.

"What were you doing?"

Ears twitch.

"Homura-chan?"

"...I was getting supplies," she answers truthfully.

Madoka stares at her, eyes narrowing. If Homura had to lie about it, it meant that wherever she had gone to had to be dangerous enough that she didn't want either of them knowing. She shares a look with Mami who decides to play peacemaker and steps in.

She clears her throat. "Well, yesterday during our patrol, Akemi-san and I were discussing things and one thing lead to another and well, I pointed out to her that as long as you continue to associate with us, there's always the potential of you getting caught in a less than ideal situation... And there may be times," her eyes flicker to Homura as if to stop her protests, "where one of us may not be there to immediately help you." Thoughts of her stained white dress flashes in her mind. "So, although this is rather unconventional, we decided that perhaps it would be best if you were to learn how to at least defend yourself if the situation were to ever occur."

Madoka stares, trying to process Mami's words.

"What do you say, Kaname-san? Do you want to learn?" she gestures to the musket in her hands.

Her eyes widen and the implications dawn on her.

Mami wanted her to learn how to _fight_.

Madoka... could learn how to become stronger even without becoming a magical girl.

Just as she's about to agree, a quiet voice interrupts them.

"W-Wait..." Homura tells them and when both pairs of eyes turn to her she flinches slightly before straightening out. "I have something better for Madoka to use..."

She slips her gun back into her shield and reaches for something else. Madoka is expecting a smaller handgun or something similar but what Homura pulls out, however, is entirely something else.

Madoka blinks while Mami stares at it in surprise.

It's a plain wooden recurve bow and Madoka feels something trigger in the back of her mind at the familiar shape.

"It's... Tomoe Mami, do you think you can enchant this?" Homura asks as she holds it out. She would do it herself but she knows that Mami has a lot more control than her, especially in this timeline and Mami nods as she accepts it.

"Hmm... let me see." Mami examines it, testing the weight and trying to determine what she can add to make the bow stronger. She already has an image in her mind—

—_a wooden bow with three prongs at one end... a pink flower_—

—and casts her magic on the weapon.

It glows yellow, like her own magical signature, and when the spell is done, Homura sucks in a deep breath while Madoka stares.

Mami nods, looking at it proudly before handing it back to Homura. "Here you go, Akemi-san. There's no need for arrows—it's attached directly to my magic and pulling the string should summon a small amount of magic, similar to how my muskets work."

Homura stares at the bow and her hand trembles lightly as she accepts it.

It looks exactly like the one Madoka uses whenever she's a magical girl. The only difference is that the flower on top is yellow rather than pink and that at least comforts her somehow.

She still has to fight back the memories though and swallows heavily. "T-Thank you," she whispers quietly. She repeats Mami's words in her mind and turns to the blonde. "Your muskets are single-shot..."

Mami nods. "Yes, but that is my own preference. Each time I make them I can also vary the power for each shot. The arrows are unlimited, as long as I am in range to provide the magic. The flower is a conductor of sorts."

They both know how unexplainable magic can be and Homura can just imagine how intricately Mami has woven her magic into the bow.

Homura stares at the flower, trying to remind herself that it's not the same, before she nods. "I see... Will it take a lot of magic to maintain?"

Here, Mami smiles and shakes her head. "Not at all."

"I see..." Homura closes her eyes to calm her inner demons and when she opens them, her eyes are clear and focused.

Even after so many failed repeats, she still remembers the lessons that Madoka had once given her.

She moves her right leg back for more balance and holds the grip tightly with her left hand, pulling the string behind her with her right. Sensing the drawback, she can feel Mami's magic gather and after a quick glance for confirmation of a yellow arrow made of light, her fingers release the string and they watch as the yellow light pierces straight through one of the targets they had set up before scattering into magical dust.

Madoka feels a familiarity brimming within her chest and for some reason she feels really eager to hold the bow in her hands.

"Unfortunately, the arrows will have a set amount of magic since it's easier to just have it draw out the same amount every time," Mami murmurs as she taps her chin thoughtfully, talking more to herself than to Homura or Madoka. "Which means it'll be less effective from further distances but it is better than nothing."

Madoka ignores her as she looks to Homura expectantly. She hesitates but places it in her open palm and watches as Madoka runs her hand along the grip, eyes suddenly distant.

—_keepitasecretfromeveryoneinourclass,okay?_—

She suddenly turns to face one of the further targets and her body moves almost instinctively as she copies Homura's earlier stance. When the arrow is released, it flies straight and true and all three stare as it connects with its intended target before it shatters into yellow specks.

Mami is pleasantly surprised. "It appears your choice was correct, Akemi-san. Have you taken archery lessons before, Kaname-san?"

Madoka blinks, as if suddenly drawn back from somewhere and she shakes her head. "N-No... never." She stares at the weapon in her hands in wonder.

"Then you must be a natural," Mami tells her with a nod. "Well, originally we were going to have you learn how to use a gun... but this works out even better. Having you at least with a weapon will provide you with some sort of protection."

Madoka nods.

"Uhm," she turns to Mami. "Can I try that again? I-I mean, your magic," she gestures to the bow and Mami smiles at her.

"Do not worry about that, Kaname-san. Each arrow takes even less than my muskets since I don't need to make a new one with each shot. You could practice for hours and it would barely drain anything."

Even Homura seems surprised at this tidbit of information and Mami winks at her.

"We all have different strengths in different places, Akemi-san. I could even do the same to one of your guns."

Homura opens her mouth to reply, but suddenly her eyes cut across to the opening of the lot and Madoka turns around to see Sayaka enter.

Her childhood friend waves at her but stops as soon as she notices the bow in Madoka's hands.

"Ahh..." is all Madoka can say as Sayaka suddenly sprints towards her.

"Madoka! Why are you—!"

"Sayaka-chan! I can expla—"

"This is all your fault!" Sayaka quickly changes gears and tackles Homura who makes no effort to dodge and they slide onto the floor in a cloud of dust.

"Sayaka-chan!"

"Miki-san!

Homura lays on the ground, unaffected as Sayaka kneels over her, fist raised and eyes angry.

"You're supposed to protect her! How could you even let Kyuubey close to her?! What the hell did you do to make her desperate enough to wish—"

Yellow ribbons suddenly surround her and she's pulled away.

Sayaka growls and struggles to break free.

"Homura-chan! Are you alright?" the smaller girl rushes to Homura's side who merely sits up and dusts off her clothes.

"Yes, I am fine Madoka."

Madoka helps her to her feet and gives Sayaka a disapproving look that's ignored; the tomboy is still struggling with Mami's ribbons.

"Please, Miki-san, calm down and take a closer look," Mami tells her and Sayaka turns angry eyes to Madoka, instantly glaring at the bow in her hands. "Her clothes," Mami points out and Sayaka knows—is expecting—a pink and white frilly dress—but all she sees is Madoka wearing a light pink hoodie, black shorts and her usual white socks and a pair of sneakers.

For a magical outfit, it's definitely the most casual she has ever seen and she blinks in confusion.

Madoka holds the bow out so that Sayaka can see it. "I-It's enchanted, with Mami-san's magic," she explains.

Mami nods and points her finger at it, drawing her magic back and Sayaka finds herself staring at a very plain wooden bow.

"Oh..."

"Have you calmed down now, Miki-san?" Mami asks and Sayaka nods, obviously embarrassed. The fact that Kyouko has now joined them and is giving her a look has her cheeks slightly aflame.

The ribbons disappear and she manages to land on her feet.

"Now, don't you have something to say to Akemi-san?"

Homura stares blankly at Sayaka who lets out a long suffering sigh.

"Sorry, transfer student."

Homura flicks her hair behind her, ears twitching lightly.

Sayaka shakes her head and suddenly she crosses her arms across her chest, turning to Madoka. "What are you doing with that anyways?"

"I'm learning how to protect myself," Madoka tells her, lifting her chin almost rebelliously.

"...Why?" there's something akin to betrayal in Sayaka's voice and she deliberately glares at Homura before turning back to Madoka. "You...you're not even a magical girl. You should leave this kind of stuff to us..." she realizes she's sounding like Homura and quickly amends her words. "It's only going to be more dangerous the more you hang out with us and if you feel that you need to learn how to protect yourself, I think maybe you should stay home. You have... you have your family to think of, Madoka."

Madoka grips the plain bow in her hands and shakes her head.

"...You know I can't do that, Sayaka-chan."

Sayaka can suddenly understand why Homura always seemed to dismiss Madoka with her harsh words; the girl is stubborn and unwilling to listen. She doesn't like being lumped together with Homura, however, and whirls around, pointing an accusing finger at the dark haired girl. "This is your fault! You probably suggested it to her! If you didn't—"

Mami clears her throat. "Actually, it was my suggestion, Miki-san."

Sayaka stops short. "W-What?"

"Considering the situation, it is more practical than forcing Kaname-san to stay away from us. She is your best friend and Akemi-san is... well, you know." Homura blinks at this but Mami continues. "The more we push her away, the more she will try and help and eventually she will find herself in a precarious situation where she will be helpless and just maybe, she will need to make a wish to survive."

Homura tenses and Madoka places a hand on her back to comfort her.

"It is all hypothetical, of course," Mami says as she glances to Homura briefly, "but considering the existence of witches, it may one day happen. And you know Kaname-san more than I do, Miki-san. Does she seem like someone who will obediently stay home as her friends are out there risking their lives every day?"

This is what had convinced Homura to agree. She moves closer to Madoka as if seeking reassurance and presses her face against her neck. The action makes Madoka stiffen considerably and Homura immediately tries to pull away but hands are around her waist, holding her in place.

"It's okay, Homura-chan," Madoka murmurs into her ear. It had caught her off-guard but her neck is healed and Homura's ears are soft and she pushes down thoughts of —_handsaroundherneck_— and grips Homura tighter, trying to calm down her panic; she forgives her and there's no way she's going to allow herself to be afraid of Homura.

Sayaka notices their exchange, eyes narrowing at their closeness before she turns back to Mami who is still waiting for her reply.

Though she wants to deny it, she knows Mami's words ring true. She knows Madoka and Madoka and her selflessness will be her downfall one day and she can easily picture her running to save someone from something and taking the hit instead.

It has Sayaka shuddering and she sighs.

She doesn't answer but Mami knows that she's on board as well.

"Good," she nods. "Now that that has been taken care of and everyone is finally here, perhaps we can start this training session. Akemi-san?"

Eyes turn to her and she brushes her ears against Madoka's cheek one last time before stepping away—or tries to but Madoka keeps a firm hold around her waist and she settles for standing next to her.

She coughs lightly, ears twitching and cheeks blushing before she nods to the others. "The reason for this training session is to enable us to learn how to work together and build our teamwork. While most of us are strong individually," Sayaka growls here because she knows Homura is not including her in that comment, "none of us have the experience of really working together, especially not all four of us together at once."

Kyouko crunches her pocky loudly after having been surprisingly quiet so far. "So you want us to work together? Shouldn't we just go poke some witches then?"

Sayaka nods. That sounded like the best way to do it.

Homura shakes her head. "As we are now, we will merely get in each other's way if we all fight together." That's what happened with every timeline when they tried. "We hardly know each other's style and all of us are used to fighting by ourselves. It's why I insisted we split up into pairs yesterday instead of having all four us together. While it's true Tomoe Mami and I have been patrolling together, we are both ranged fighters. If Miki Sayaka were to join us, she would most likely end up running into a stray bullet." Or bomb. "And," she addresses Kyouko, "though you and Tomoe Mami have worked together before, how long has it been since then? Can you safely say that you trust her to watch your back and that you will be able to predict her shots?"

Homura's words drive a very convincing point and Kyouko sighs.

"Alright, so it's true, I'd rather fight one on one. Which was kind of like how it was being partnered with bluey yesterday," Kyouko tells Sayaka, smirking at her scowl, before turning back to Homura. "So how the hell are we going to learn to work together?"

Homura nods. "I propose that we start with simple team building exercises. If we can learn to trust each other, everything else will slowly fall into place."

The previous timeline had proven that trust played a very important part for them to be able to fight together. Although, their animal instincts had immensely helped with that. After all, their heightened senses enabled them to dodge stray attacks easier... But that would be impossible to mimic here and the best solution would be for them to build a strong level of understanding and trust, which she hopes these exercises will accomplish.

"Of course we will also be patrolling as well, though I believe we should continue pairing off so that Miki Sayaka can learn from Sakura Kyouko for a while longer before we start switching partners, eventually grouping together once we're more comfortable with each other's fighting styles. Unfortunately, there's not much time before Walpurgisnacht, but I think as long as we continue to do these team building exercises as well as our patrols, we will be able to learn how to work together by the time she arrives."

"U-Uhm, Homura-chan?" Madoka turns to her.

"Yes, Madoka?"

"Am I included in all this?"

Homura pauses and though she wants to tell her no, she nods after a moment. The exercises are simple and Mami had a very good point: the more they pushed Madoka away, the more she would fight back and her continual helplessness at the situation is always the catalyst to her making a contract.

The previous timeline had been an exception but _that_ had been a very special case and there's nothing like that in this timeline for Madoka...

Maybe if they had let her join them earlier, some other timeline could've been _the one _but Homura knows she hasn't been thinking clearly for a while now and somehow the Mami from this timeline has suddenly become a very reliable senpai once more and her suggestion for Madoka had felt like a curve ball thrown out from nowhere.

There are also other factors only found in this timeline and—she realizes she's getting distracted when she feels Madoka tighten her hands around her waist and she quickly pulls away from her thoughts and turns back to face the others. She's at least relieved to find she had only zoned out for a brief moment.

"Alright, so what kind of 'team building exercises' are we going to do anyways?" Kyouko asks as she starts on another stick of pocky. She's wondering just why she's still here doing these stupid things with these people and chalks it up to boredom.

Maybe.

Homura nods, reaching into her shield to pull out some papers. "I did some research and I found some exercises that are used in companies to help train and build stronger teams."

"Eh?" Kyouko scratches her head in confusion.

Homura turns to her. "I have a whole list to go through but the first one seems simple. Have you ever heard of a 'trust fall?'"

\\

As it turns out, Homura's assessment of their teamwork had been spot on; that is, all of them are horrible at it except Madoka and Mami.

Sayaka is too stubborn to catch Homura or Kyouko and Kyouko likes watching their reactions when she deliberately misses the catch.

And Homura?

Homura is the worst out of them all.

She can't even get past closing her eyes and can't get herself to catch anyone that isn't Madoka.

"Perhaps... we should take a break?" Mami suggests as she stares at the other girls who are displaying varying degrees of irritation from their continuous falls.

Madoka pets Homura in comfort and nods to Mami.

"I think that sounds good, Mami-san."

"Sounds great to me. I'm starving," Kyouko says as she stands, dusting off her jacket. This has to be why she has stayed: the aspect of free food.

"Yeah," Sayaka grumbles as she gets to her feet, likewise patting down her shorts and shirt.

Mami smiles. "There is this new restaurant that I've been wanting to try. Does anyone mind if we go there?"

"Nope," Kyouko immediately replies.

Sayaka shakes her head and Mami turns to Madoka and Homura.

"We don't mind either," Madoka answers for the both of them, knowing that Homura will agree to anywhere that she wants to go to.

Mami claps once in delight. "Splendid."

\\

Even though it's a Sunday and there's a grand opening special, they arrive at the restaurant during off-peak hours and are seated within 15 minutes. As they walk to their seats, they take in the interior and find it very sleek and modern. There are white booths lining the walls with enough room for walking and 4-seat tables in the middle that can be combined for larger parties. The walls are filled with screens that change backgrounds every few minutes and the floor is patterned with white and grey lines that invert colours after a set amount of time passes.

Overall, it seems like a place that will become a popular hangout considering its location and the amount of people still inside despite it being well over lunch time.

They're lead to a booth and Kyouko shares a seat with Sayaka, albeit grudgingly. On the other side, Homura, Madoka, and Mami squeeze in together and they start browsing through their individual digital menus.

"I'm not paying for you," Sayaka immediately tells Kyouko as she scrolls down the drink list.

Before Kyouko can reply, Mami smiles to them. "It was my suggestion to come here, I will pay for us all."

Sayaka and Madoka immediately protest while Kyouko eagerly starts searching for things she wants to eat.

"Eh? You don't need to do that Mami-san!" Madoka waves her hands animatedly.

"Yeah! We can pay for ourselves!"

Homura ignores them, thumbing through all the pages.

"No need to worry. I don't mind treating my cute kouhai once in a while," Mami replies with a wink. "Now, now," she stops their complaints. "Please decide on what you would like."

Sayaka and Madoka share a look, promises of making sure to take the bill away from Mami exchanged through their eyes and they turn back to their menus.

As Madoka stares at the selection, she finds herself unable to decide. It hasn't been that long since lunch but the pasta is already burning away and she feels that she'll be hungry soon enough.

"Homura-chan?" she turns to the other girl who is still browsing through aimlessly.

"Yes, Madoka?" she stops and stares at Madoka in question.

"Do you know what you want to get...?"

Homura shakes her head. "No..." she pauses. "Well... s-some type of meat...?"

Madoka slides her screen over to the entree section and her eyes take in the selection of available dishes. "Steak then? Or maybe a chicken dish? The list is huge..."

Homura nods. "But..."

"Hm?" she glances at Homura curiously.

"D-Do you think... any of the meat here is crunchy...?"

Madoka blinks at her in confusion. "Crunch—" she pales suddenly. "Homura-chan!"

The other three look up at Madoka's raised voice but she ignores them.

"I think a steak dish would be good, Homura-chan," Madoka tells her with a strained smile.

Homura stares at her and looks back at the menu.

"You can order medium rare, if you'd like."

Homura's brow furrows slightly but her eyes light up suddenly and Madoka sighs in exasperation.

"NO_, not_ rare." She doesn't want her to get used to eating barely cooked meat.

Homura seems to deflate at that. "...Okay..."

Sayaka blinks, Kyouko ignores them and turns back to the menu and Mami smiles to herself in amusement.

\\

"Alright, now that we have taken a break, I think perhaps I was too hasty to try an exercise that is obviously something that is at a higher level than we are currently capable of..." Homura tells them as they are once again gathered in the abandoned lot. She looks around, evaluating their relaxed faces and knows since they just ate, something too physical wouldn't be a good idea. She licks her lips, wondering how a rare steak would've tasted but quickly shakes her head when she catches Madoka's eye.

She clears her throat nervously. "We'll try another exercise... this is supposed to help with communication..."

She summons her shield and pulls out five different coloured sketchbooks. Madoka can't help but grin when she notices they're colour coded: pink, blue, yellow, purple, and red.

Homura hands them out to each respective girl along with a black marker.

"This is similar to a game called 'telephone...?'" she tilts her head, ears twitching, showing her confusion at that but continues to read the instructions, "except it is done with drawings. One person will start, drawing something simple enough that other people should be able to identify. Then, they show their picture to the next person who will try and copy the drawing and this repeats until it reaches the last person who will then try and answer what the drawing is of. There will be a time limit for each artist, between 10-20 seconds... 10 should be enough," she mumbles to herself. "Are there any questions?"

Everyone shakes their head; the instructions are easy to understand.

"Remember that when it is not your turn you aren't supposed to be peeking," Homura reminds them and deliberately shoots Kyouko a glance.

Kyouko looks offended but when Mami gives her the same look she grumbles. "Yeah, yeah..."

She's only still here because Mami had paid for lunch and lunch had been delicious.

"We will all take turns on who will start. Madoka, you will go first."

"Ah," Madoka points to herself and Homura nods.

She looks around, seeing if anyone else minded and they all stare at her, waiting for her to begin. For some reason when she glances over to Sayaka and Kyouko, she has a feeling that this will not end well.

Pushing those negative thoughts aside, Madoka nods, signaling she's ready and turns her sketchbook away from the others as Homura pulls out a stopwatch from her shield.

"You may begin in 3...2...1." She hits the the switch and Madoka uncaps her marker to draw.

She chooses something easy—a cat—though she knows Sayaka will probably tease her about that but it's all she can think of and she manages to draw a really cute one in her allotted time.

"Time."

Madoka quickly turns her sketchbook over so that Mami can see.

"Go."

Mami nods and her marker moves quickly as she tries to copy Madoka's drawing as best as she can.

"Time."

She barely manages to fit the body in, forgoing the tail and gives Madoka an apologetic look.

"Go."

Mami flips her drawing over to Homura who stares at it, immediately knowing what is it. She is used to moving much slower however, and spends too much time on the head and the cat's body is only half complete as she instinctively knows that her time is up.

"Time," she mutters, almost angrily at herself before she turns to Kyouko and holds out her drawing.

"What—"

"Go."

"What the hell is..." Kyouko growls as the marker squeaks from the pressure of her hand. "Stupid...this..."

"Time."

She sighs and shows Sayaka her final product.

"..." Sayaka blankly stares at the mess on Kyouko's paper. "How am I—what is—are you kidding me?"

"Miki Sayaka, what is the drawing?" Homura asks her calmly. There is no time limit for guessing but she doesn't think it should take that long.

"Uh..." Sayaka glances to Kyouko's picture before looking at Madoka. "...Spider?"

Homura blinks and grabs Kyouko's sketchbook so that she can see the drawing.

"...Yes, that is a spider," Homura agrees as Mami and Madoka crowd around closer so they can also see.

"Like yours was any better!" Kyouko declares as she grabs Homura's sketchbook and flips it around.

"The ears are visible," Homura replies as she uses her marker to point to the sharp lines of the head. "Your head is completely round."

Mami and Madoka present theirs and those two are at least very close.

Homura clears her throat. "Well, it was our first try. Now that we know what to expect I'm sure our efforts will improve."

Madoka and Mami share a glance.

This definitely will not end well.

\\

"Bucket."

Mami stares at Homura and gestures to the other girls to show their drawings and they can see that the quality had deteriorated in between Sayaka and Kyouko. She sighs.

"It was a teacup."

/

"How the hell are we supposed to know what that is!?" Kyouko yells loudly.

"It is a very common familiar," Homura points out. "The mustache is very distinctive..."

"Homura-chan... It's supposed to be something simple enough that everyone knows it."

Homura flicks her hair behind her, frowning slightly. "...How am I supposed to know no one here pays attention to the familiars..."

\\

"It's a dog! Obviously! Madoka had a cat, so I drew a dog!" Sayaka tells them angrily.

"Those ears are not a dog's ears," Homura comments and Kyouko nods in agreement.

"Yeah, those are cat ears."

"Dogs can have the same ears!"

"Why would you use the same ears as a cat?" Homura questions her, pointing to her own ears. "There are dogs with floppy ears, those are easier to identify."

"Grrrr!"

/

"Are you kidding me?" Kyouko throws her sketchbook to the ground. "It's a slice of cake! Hello! Mami and her cakes?"

Homura shakes her head. "Your triangle should've been more like an isosceles but you drew it like a scalene."

"Yeah! You started off the drawing, couldn't you have used a little bit more effort?" Sayaka agrees as Kyouko glares at her.

"Shut up! I bet you don't even know what she's talking about!"

"What? O-Of course I do!"

"Then what's an isosceles and what's a scalene?" Kyouko demands.

Sayaka raises her chin. "Ha. Madoka!"

The smaller girl looks startled. "E-Eh?"

"Explain to Kyouko what isosceles and scalene means."

"Uhm," she glances between Kyouko and Sayaka before answering. "An isosceles triangle has two equal sides and two equal angles while a scalene triangle has uneven sides and angles..."

Sayaka smirks at Kyouko. "See? I knew that."

Kyouko scoffs. "Maybe I should scalene your-"

"Ahem," Mami clears her throat. "Akemi-san?" she turns to Homura who is still frowning at Kyouko's drawing. "Perhaps... we should try a different exercise?"

Homura nods and collects the supplies before slipping them back into her shield. She stares at her list, tail flickering behind her as she flips the page.

"Oh, this seemed interesting..." she nods to herself. "This is also another exercise to help with communication. This can be done in pairs or up to four or five people. There will be one 'leader' while the others will be blindfolded. Then, the leader has to lead their group through a field maze to get from point A to point B, while at the same time making sure to avoid 'landmines.'"

"Well... that sounds simple..." Mami says as the others agree.

Homura nods and pulls out a round metal object from her shield. "I'll be done setting up in a moment."

"W-Wait, Homura-chan..." Madoka doesn't know what landmines look like but she does know Homura. "T-That's not... what I think it is... is it?"

Homura blinks and tilts her head, ears twitching. "The exercise is called 'landmine?' Aren't we supposed to use real ones?"

"N-No," Madoka stammers out as she places a hand on Homura's arm. "P-Put that away, please."

"But—"

"Homura-chan..."

"...Alright. But without them, the exercise doesn't seem as effective...?"

"Akemi-san?" Mami gives her a nervous smile. "Perhaps, something easier will be a better choice...?"

Sayaka and Kyouko share a look.

"Kitty cat's a bit loony eh?"

Sayaka actually grins at her. "Hey, what do you know. Maybe these team building exercises do work. I think we just found something we both agree o**n."**

* * *

**AN: ***throws ff's document editor into a fire* how dare you log me out when I try to save my edits. grr..

I do like socially awkward Homura more than cold hearted Homura. And Cat Homura is at the top of the list *pinches her cheeks* Somehow this became the longest chapter so far. Hope the dialogue is amusing and made up for some of the sadness from the previous chapter and beginning of this chapter. As always, thanks for reading, reviewing, especially to those two(you know who you areeee) who consistently leave reviews. Hm, yeah not much else to say, except oops, Sayaka's confession was definitely not addressed in this chapter. But maybe next, but most likely the one after.


	14. bonds

**A**s Madoka pulls the string back, the automatic draw of magic no longer surprises her and she thinks that there's something familiar about _this_ that calms her, giving her a sense of reassurance. Gripping the wooden bow in her hands, she finds the feeling almost nostalgic and for some unexplainable reason, it fills her with confidence that she knows she normally lacks.

She can hear Sayaka teasing Homura, Kyouko laughing at Mami. A glance over her shoulder and the sight of the four of them getting along warms her heart. If they can learn to work together, they can defeat Walpurgisnacht.

And she can help them.

She exhales slowly, right before her fingers release and she watches as the yellow _—pink—_ arrow flies straight into the target.

_No_. They will definitely defeat Walpurgisnacht.

For some reason, her mind latches onto this thought almost desperately.

Because something tells her that somehow, everything will finally really begin when that story finally ends.

\

Sayaka tilts her body forward, easily pulling Homura with her as they stretch out their backs.

A few more failed attempts at other various exercises and they're now doing simple stretches like those during gym at school. Due to their uneven group number, Madoka had volunteered to sit this one out to practice more with her enchanted bow and had suggested for Sayaka to pair with Homura, leaving Mami with Kyouko.

Though fairly reluctant, they had grudgingly agreed and leg stretches are finished and they have moved onto the next set. Each pair is now standing back to back to their partner, arms hooked at the elbows as one person leans forward, the other one relaxing and lying over their partner's back before switching positions.

"Sheesh, transfer student. How much do you weigh?" Sayaka asks her, barely even feeling the weight of the other girl on her. She isn't even doing anything special with her magic. "You might weigh less than Madoka."

"Switch," Homura merely says and Sayaka lowers her to ground. They can hear Kyouko mentioning something about cakes and Mami's weight and then silence and Sayaka shakes her head at the other girl's tactlessness, overlooking her own comment to Homura.

Homura mimics Sayaka's earlier actions, planting her feet firmly into the ground to support the added weight. She finds Sayaka is heavier than she had assumed but she doesn't want to use magic for something as simple as this.

"Hmm? Am I too heavy for the little transfer student?" Sayaka grins and she can feel Homura stiffen.

"Maybe if you ate less..." she replies quietly.

"I'm at a pretty healthy weight though," Sayaka tells her, not at all embarrassed and she deliberately lifts her own legs up, making Homura bear more of her weight. "Maybe if you ate more you'd grow and get stronger. I tell that to Madoka all the time but for her I think it's in her genes."

"Switch," Homura tells her, lowering her to the ground.

Sayaka smirks, quickly pitching forward and lifting the other girl onto her back.

It catches Homura by surprise and her eyes widen. "W-What are you—"

"Seriously, you weigh like nothing," Sayaka tells her and before Homura can react, she demonstrates by running in a giant circle.

"M-Miki S-Sayaka—stop—it." Homura lifts her legs slightly to avoid the tips of her shoes dragging on the floor as each step bounces her uncomfortably on Sayaka's back. She struggles against the other girl's hold. "Switch. Switch!"

Sayaka returns to their earlier location before stopping, breathing only a little harder and straightens up to gently lower Homura to the ground.

"Why are you so difficult," Homura mutters. There's one more set though and she bends forward to finish this properly.

Sayaka lifts her legs again, higher this time. "I think you just need to loosen up."

Homura stands up abruptly while untangling their arms and Sayaka is thrown off her back, barely avoiding falling onto her wrist due to her quick reflexes.

"Hey!"

There's a low hiss from Homura and Sayaka blinks, glancing over to her and she can see her ears and tail have reappeared and are standing up in obvious irritation. Her shield is summoned and Sayaka feels her blood run cold as she watches her pull out a gun.

"H-Hey, no problems here, transfer student," Sayaka holds out her hands in surrender but Homura ignores her, turning around and pointing the gun towards the entrance of the lot.

"What's wrong, Akemi-san?"

Mami and Kyouko have noticed her sudden change of attitude and they follow her line of sight.

Mami gasps lightly.

Kyuubey.

/So this is where you girls are/

His voice makes Madoka jump, causing her to accidentally release the arrow gathered in her hand too early. She looks around in alarm, not bothering to watch as it completely misses the target and finally spots the familiar white fur and red eyes.

Homura is besides her a second later and the other girls move to join them.

"Why are you here," Homura asks, voice cold as the gun remains locked on Kyuubey's head, eyes watching as he steps closer before stopping a short distance away.

/Very impressive, Akemi Homura. To deliberately hide in an older district, making it harder for me to detect you all. I assume this is no mere coincidence/

There is no reply as she grits her teeth angrily. It's taking all her will power not to fill Kyuubey with holes but she knows that killing Kyuubey at point blank range can still cause some lingering side effects even though they have already agreed to not associate with him.

"What is he talking about?" Sayaka glances at her curiously.

Homura merely hisses and Madoka immediately tries to placate her with a hand on her back.

Kyuubey turns to Sayaka. /I am usually able to locate your magical signatures throughout the city as my range extends to the entire radius. However, when you enter certain sections that are filled with a large amount of 'old magic,' it tends to limit my sensors as your own signatures are overpowered by 'fake' barriers. Fortunately, this city doesn't have too many of those, effectively narrowing my search, though the need to physically move closer in order to detect you did make it take quite a while to figure out you were all here. Did someone give you this information, Akemi Homura? I am sure I have never mentioned this to you/

"What does it even matter," Kyouko tells him, tempted to summon her own spear to skewer him but instead settles for rummaging in her pockets for something to munch on. "Why are you here? We don't need you anymore. You aren't getting any grief seeds from us."

/Yes, that in itself is very inconvenient. I must insist you girls hand them back to me. A grief seed may hatch into a witch once more and—/

Homura fires a shot, grazing his ear and levels him with a cold glare. "Why are you here," she repeats.

/I am merely here to observe. It is unfortunate that you were so easily swayed, Kyouko. It seems I underestimated your powers of persuasion, Akemi Homura/

Kyouko angrily takes a bite of her pocky and the almost empty box does little to help her mood.

"Are you kidding me?" she growls at him. "Anyone would take her side once they knew the truth!"

/On the contrary, it's easier for one to deny the truth than to accept it. I don't know how Akemi Homura made you believe her, but opinions on these kinds of matters usually don't change so easily/

"What are you even here for?" Sayaka demands, stomping her foot angrily.

/I told you, I am here merely to observe/ His red eyes zero in on Homura. /Your physical manifestations really are curious, Akemi Homura. But seeing how easily you swayed Kyouko, I think I may have a higher understanding to the obvious advantage it gives you/

"What are you talking about..." Homura stares at him, ears twitching and tail flickering in irritation.

/It is obvious that they are more for decoration than anything. Physical manifestations that mimic animals. I would say that you are similar to us in that regard, Akemi Homura/

His words sends chills down her spine.

/A softer appearance used to sway minds. Young girls tend to trust things with innocent faces, do they not?/ his eyes glint at the implications but before Homura can even think of pulling the trigger, a yellow light pierces through his skull and he collapses, limp, onto the floor.

Homura's eyes widen and she quickly turns to face Mami.

But, Mami is staring in shock at the now dead Kyuubey and no one else is more surprised than Homura when she sees Madoka lowering her bow.

"M-Madoka...?"

The smaller girl's usual smiling face is nowhere to be found and her eyes are angry; she has figured out the source of her anger.

"Homura-chan is nothing like you," Madoka states quietly, voice remnant of this morning and Homura shudders at the tone. "Don't you _dare_ compare her to you."

Another Kyuubey reappears.

"K-Kyuubey...?" Mami collapses onto her knees, eyes darting back and forth between the duplicates.

"He's...how?" Kyouko shakes her head in obvious confusion before her face twists in disgust when she sees Kyuubey eating his dead body.

"He cannot die," Homura answers them, attention split between Madoka and Kyuubey. "He has an infinite amount of bodies that are replaceable at a moment's notice."

With a disgusting swallow, Kyuubey is finished and sits as his tail swishes from side to side.

"...You're a coward," Sayaka declares suddenly. "Y-You can die as many times as you want... No wonder you can easily turn us into zombies without feeling anything... you...you can't even understand pain...let alone death..."

/I agree. You humans are hard to understand. The emotions you feel, things like—/

Driven by impulse, Kyouko follows through with her earlier thought and holds out the newly skewered Kyuubey. "...Not as satisfying as I thought it would be," she comments as she eyes the new Kyuubey already walking around. Her spear disappears into her soul gem and Kyuubey's body drops to the ground with a soft thud.

/Putting those things aside... Kaname Madoka. Your potential shows itself clearly with you just utilizing magical weapons even without making a contract. Think of how powerful you could be as a magical—/

Time resumes and everyone jumps when Kyuubey is riddled with holes.

/You humans and your pointless actions. What do you plan to accomplish by doing these things?/

Homura merely pulls out another loaded gun and points it at him. "Chasing after you could be our new exercise. This is your last chance. Why are you here?"

His eyes remain emotionless as he shakes his head. /I am assuming the four of you have banded together in the hopes that it will be enough to defeat Walpurgisnacht. I am curious how you found about her arrival, Akemi Homura/

"Leave," she grounds out as her ears twitch angrily.

/I will tell you now. It is a futile attempt; without Kaname Madoka the four of you will—/

This time no one reacts as he drops to the floor, Homura's gun still smoking.

"We can continue this endless cycle," Homura states as he appears once more. "Or you can leave and stop wasting our time."

He finishes his disposal of his body and stares at them blankly. /Very well/

Homura doesn't relax and grits her teeth, eyes following him as he bounds away.

/I look forward to seeing what kind of witches you girls will become. The universe thanks you for your contribution/

Finally, he's gone but the damage has already been done.

There's a clatter as the bow drops from Madoka's hands. The adrenaline leaves her body, her anger drains away and the impact of her actions hits her like a tidal wave.

She had killed—

She falls to her knees, breaths panicked and Sayaka and Homura immediately attend to her.

"Madoka. Are you alright?" Homura wants to comfort her but her hands hover, unsure, as Kyuubey's earlier words echo in her mind and she can't bring herself to reach closer to actually touch her.

"Of course she's not alright!" Sayaka growls out and she does what Homura cannot do.

"S-Sayaka-chan... I..."

"It's okay, Madoka," Sayaka hugs her close. "It's okay."

Kyouko breaks her last stick of pocky in half, angrily stuffing both pieces into her mouth and casts a look around. Her gaze stops at Mami who is still sitting on the floor, staring blankly ahead.

"Mami? Oy Mami?"

The blonde snaps her head up, blinking slowly. "Ah... Y-Yes, Sakura-san?"

"You alright there?"

"Yes... of course..."

Kyouko knows that Mami is anything but. She knows more than anyone just how much Mami had depended on Kyuubey and can already assume she's drowning in thoughts of regret and betrayal. She turns to Homura, seeking guidance but finds her staring at Madoka and Sayaka, ears flat and looking as lost as she feels.

"Kitty Cat."

Her sharp voice has Homura looking up at her.

"You got any exercises involving something more physical?"

She tilts her head in question.

"Something..." Kyouko holds out her hands, itching for something sweet but she's all out now and she settles for closing them into fists. "Something... I don't know. Something to get rid of all this stress."

Homura eyes her curiously. "We can start our patrols early...?"

Kyouko shakes her head. "Nah." She seems thoughtful. "Something all of us can do together. More physical. Less baby stuff like we have been doing. Less thinking, more hitting. Fighting..."

Homura's tail flickers as she considers her words and the others are now staring at them, curious at Kyouko's statement and Homura's contemplation.

Surely she isn't going to suggest them to fight each other...?

Wordlessly, Homura slips her gun back into her shield and pulls out her papers again but this time Kyouko reaches over and plucks it out of her grasp.

Homura blinks, automatically reaching for it but Kyouko holds out a hand to stop her, eyes already scanning Homura's very extensive and scarily thorough list.

Her eyes widen when she spots a familiar word and she glances over to Homura before cutting across to Mami and finally to Sayaka who's still holding a sniffling Madoka.

"This," Kyouko says, grinning, "seems perfect."

She holds out the paper, finger pointing to the exercise and Homura's ears flicker.

"I thought... you wanted to fight?'" she asks as she stares at the name.

"Don't you know," Kyouko tells her, holding out her arms, "the game of tag is a battle all in itself."

Without waiting for any of them to reply, she waves the papers in Homura's face who accepts them and suddenly Kyouko's transforming into her magical girl outfit.

"Magical girl tag... Hm." A dangerous smirk. "I'll go first. If I tag you, you're out." She slams her summoned spear down into the floor and everyone jumps at the cracks that appear.

Sayaka gulps nervously. "H-Hey... what are you—"

"You got ten seconds..."

Mami sits up straighter and shakes her head. "Sakura-san, it's—"

"10...9..."

Homura transforms and she's pulling Madoka to her feet. Earlier thoughts are discarded as she realizes the situation and the opportunity.

"Madoka. I will protect you," she tells her as she quickly scoops up the bow and hides it into her shield.

"8..7..6..."

"Uh..." Sayaka isn't sure what's happening but she follows Homura's example.

"5...4.."

Homura runs across the lot with Madoka following after her and Sayaka takes off after them.

"Sakura-san, wait, this is—"

"3..." Eyes lock with Mami, a challenge issued on her face.

"2..."

Mami flashes yellow and races to the opposite side.

"1!"

\\

As Madoka clutches onto Homura tightly, she's surprised to see how much the other girl actually seems to be enjoying this very dangerous game.

Once it had started, Kyouko had immediately raced towards the weakest link and Sayaka had been the first out. Her efforts at dodging and parrying Kyouko's attacks had been valiant but her obvious lack of experience had shown itself very clearly. The others had watched as Kyouko feinted and then suddenly her spear was wrapped around Sayaka, instantly dropping her to the floor. To add to the embarrassment, Kyouko had then placed her foot on the struggling girl, raising her fist in victory before turning her attention to the others.

Mami is now watching them, resting atop a pile of stacked cars after a very long clash of ribbons versus spear before Kyouko had suddenly veered off to chase after Homura who is using this exercise as a chance to work on her defense while protecting Madoka.

With her hands occupied as she carries Madoka in her arms, Homura can only dodge but with Kyouko making sure to at least hold back on the strength of her attacks, Homura's speed is enough and they seem to be at a standstill.

There's already an unsaid rule that Homura's time magic isn't allowed and that Kyouko cannot directly attack Madoka. They both know Homura will keep Madoka from being injured and what Kyouko's trying to do now is trap Homura in her spear to tag the both of them out.

Which is easier said than done.

Kyouko stops to catch her breath and Homura eyes her critically, muscles tense, waiting for signs of movement, a warning to an oncoming attack. Madoka is growing concerned with how rapid Homura's heartbeats are and how out of breath she seems.

"Damn," Kyouko breathes out, swiping at the sweat on her brow. "You're like a monkey, jumping all over the place. Hold still already so I can tag you!"

Homura doesn't reply, staring at her before she dashes away as Kyouko swings her spear at her. The chains on the spear handle disconnect and Homura twists her body to avoid the attack. Not to be out done, Kyouko pulls the chain back and the spear turns, barely missing her leg and there's a pause as Homura remembers something very important.

Suddenly all she knows is pain as the spear head cuts across her tail, almost severing it and she drops to the floor heavily, conscious enough to land on her back to at least make sure that Madoka is safe.

Her teeth grit, the pain overwhelming and Madoka is scrambling off her, eyes wide with concern.

"Homura-chan? Homura-chan!"

Her body spasms as she tries to concentrate on disconnecting the link between her body and soul gem. She starts clawing at her sternum desperately, eyes scrunched, low gasps of pain heard.

"Is she alright? What happened?" Mami is next to them in an instant, looking for signs of injury and Madoka shakes her head.

"I-I don't know!"

Sayaka rushes towards them, past the horrified Kyouko who is still staring at Homura who's now screaming in pain.

"Her tail! Kyouko hit her tail!" she yells at them.

"Help me hold her down!" Mami states, knowing she's not going to be able to avoid hurting Homura's tail even more with her ribbons considering how much she is thrashing. "Sakura-san! Please!"

Kyouko snaps out of it, immediately running over and the four of them struggle to flip her on her stomach, eventually succeeding before Sayaka holds down her arms and Kyouko grips her legs.

Homura's damaged tail flickers uncontrollably as she fights against them and Madoka all but sits on her to help press down her body.

Now with a clear view of Homura's tail, Mami uses her ribbons to pin it against Homura's body to stop it from moving and immediately locates the large gash that seems to be bleeding purple specks of light.

Homura's screams remind Mami of the situation and she quickly places her hand to the tail, concentrating on her magic to heal the mysterious wound, hoping that it'll take a lot easier than healing her body had.

To her surprise, her own magic fills in around the large opening before it's surrounded by purple, absorbed, and Homura's tail rebuilds itself and now has a spot of yellow where her wound used to be.

Mami pulls her hand away, testing if the magic will stay and is glad when she finds that it does.

Homura is quiet, no longer struggling as she takes in gulps of air and the ribbons disappear.

"Is she alright now?" Sayaka asks, hands still holding down her arms.

"I-I think so..." Madoka moves off Homura as everyone else lets her go. "Homura-chan?"

She remains lying there, ears flat and swiping at her eyes with her jacket sleeve. Madoka pulls out a handkerchief from her pocket, gently moving Homura's head into her lap to help wipe her face clean.

"Are you alright, Homura-chan?" Finished with her task, her hands automatically stroke her ears and instead of answering, Homura buries her face in Madoka's lap, legs curling in closer for more warmth.

The other three exchange nervous looks and Sayaka debates a moment before grabbing Kyouko's arm and pulling her up with her.

"Come on, let's go."

"Go? Where?" Kyouko echoes her as her eyes remain watching Homura.

"Get some snacks, drinks." Sayaka glances to Homura. "Milk."

Ears twitch at that and she sees Homura lift her head, lavender eyes peering at her.

"Strawberry milk," Sayaka clarifies and Homura already seems better as she nuzzles Madoka's leg with her cheek, ears twitching.

Madoka gives Sayaka a smile who rolls her eyes but there's obvious relief on her face.

"Come on," Sayaka repeats as she grabs Kyouko, pushing her towards the exit.

Mami watches as they leave and then turns to Homura, bowing her head.

"I'm sorry, Akemi-san, this was my fault," she admits, voice full of guilt. "Sakura-san was... for me...trying to provide a distraction. It's..."

Homura turns her body and she can see Mami looking as distraught as she sounds. She pauses before she uses her repaired tail to hit Mami's leg.

Mami blinks in confusion and Homura sits up, shaking her head to fix her hair before turning to look at her.

"She was trying to help all of us. And we had a choice to stop her," Homura tells her. "It was... rather enjoyable. Well, before that occurred..."

Madoka is reminded of what she had _done_ and she reaches over to pull Homura close. "Is your tail okay now, Homura-chan?" she asks as she glances down to the flickering tail.

Homura nods, all hesitance now gone and makes herself more comfortable as she leans against Madoka for comfort. She stops her tail from moving and grabs it to examine it more closely. The gash that Mami has healed is visible, a jagged line of yellow on her otherwise black tail.

"The pain is usually not this bad," she murmurs as she pokes it, curious to how it differed from her own magic; she finds it doesn't feel any different at all.

"So it has happened before?" Mami asks her, feeling as Homura activates her magic, as if she's trying to heal it. Nothing happens and the yellow line remains as her own magic disperses into thin air.

"Yes..." Homura answers as she lets go of her tail, absently resuming its flickering from side to side. "Stray attacks from witches... projectiles... Those things are unpredictable." She stiffens as Madoka suddenly grabs her tail, wanting a closer look.

"Ah," she lets go immediately when she notices her reaction. "S-Sorry, Homura-chan..."

"Nn.. N-No, it's fine, Madoka." Homura shakes her head and places her tail in Madoka's open hand.

She is more gentle this time and holds it, eyes studying the yellow line. "It doesn't feel weird?" she murmurs as she runs her thumb across the line.

"No." Homura shivers lightly at her touch. "Not really..."

"Will it disappear when you hide your ears and tail?" the thought occurs to Mami and Homura shakes her head again.

"No, my ears and tail remain the same. They're permanently attached to my body but when I hide them it's similar to how we hide our soul gems into rings..."

Seeing no anomalies on Homura's tail, Madoka lets go. "You said this has happened before?"

"Yes."

"It's... it's not like a soul gem, is it?" Madoka asks her, paling. Damage to a soul gem would be—

"No," Homura reassures her. "They're... It's as if I've been enchanted, kind of like when Mami adds magic into your bow, except they're on my body. Permanent enchantments on my body..."

"So when Kyouko-chan cut it..."

"It wasn't physical damage I felt, but a different kind of damage..." She's not sure how to explain it and her head tilts in confusion.

"Is it related to your heart somehow?" Mami stares at her. "You were clutching your chest rather painfully."

Madoka is petting her again and Homura briefly enjoys the sensation before answering. "Even though our souls are in our gems, we still need something in our physical bodies to link the two things together... and since our souls were originally located around here," she points to where her heart is, "that is where our connection to our soul gems remain. My ears and tail are connected to that link... They're not directly connected to my magic but still a part of my magic and a physical part of me but not really physical, if that makes any sense..."

Mami nods in vague understanding, looking surprised. She had no idea there was something connecting their body to their soul gem. Then again, it turns out that she doesn't know a lot of things and she struggles to keep her thoughts from heading down that direction.

Madoka's hand stops moving as she tries to wrap her mind around this information. Homura's ears and tail are enchantments or physical manifestations of her magic. That she understands. And that their bodies have a connection to their soul gem. How those two things are connected however, kind of flies over her head but all she knows is that hurting Homura's ears and tail is a bad thing but petting her seems to be okay.

...Maybe more than okay.

She hears a soft whine and realizes that it's coming from Homura. She blinks, pushing those thoughts away and resumes running her hand across Homura's ears.

Another thought and she swallows nervously as her hand stop once more.

"But..." Madoka stares at Homura and Mami. "But... if... w-what happens if your connection...? Your bodies..."

Homura glances at her, fighting down another whine in her throat and instead leans back against Madoka to feel her warmth. "...most are unaware the connection even exists," she informs her quietly as Mami's ignorance to this has shown itself clearly. "While it's true we're able to heal any wound on our bodies as long as our soul gem is intact, the amount of magic needed to repair a direct attack straight to the chest—to rebuild the surrounding organs, tissue, bones... most likely they figured that it would be more efficient to disconnect the body instead in order to keep the soul alive..."

That explanation had never really sat right with Homura but answers from Kyuubey were always frustratingly vague the further she tried to delve into soul gems and the connections in their bodies. Which she always felt was strange since he seemed to hold no qualms answering questions most of the time.

Mami's eyes widen. "Doesn't that mean... our souls could be placed with a different body...?"

Homura nods. "I'm not sure how that works, however." Another thing Kyuubey never explained. "But... if your connection is destroyed, the chances of your soul gem being intact will be low. Especially considering how most magical girls fight by themselves and at most you'd have... that thing as your backup. And if you're—" she cuts herself off suddenly and summons her soul gem into her hand, frowning as she stares at it.

It's a muddy purple but Homura isn't bothered by that; it's only a bit darker since she had cleaned it this morning when she had almost fallen in front of Madoka...

"Akemi-san?"

"Homura-chan?"

She looks up and both of them are looking at her in worry.

"...Did you need a grief seed?" Mami asks as she starts reaching into her skirt pocket for her tin container of seeds.

"...No..." she meets Mami's frown with a shake of her head, "at least, not yet. I think... I just figured out how they turn us into witches..."

And why Kyuubey never really explained their connection in their bodies.

"W-What?" Mami blinks at her in confusion. "It's... the despair we accumulate...the corruption of our souls..."

Homura nods as she holds out her soul gem. "Yes, that much is true. That is how we _fall_. But not how witches are _born_. They are related but they are not the same." The gem returns to its ring form and she points to her sternum. "I think...as soon as the link to our body and soul gem is broken... that is the moment when we become a witch... when we lose the final 'link' to our humanity..."

She can picture it clearly in her mind: every time Madoka defeated Walpurgisnacht, she'd always end up lying in the water, clutching her soul gem and corruption clearly visible in her once bright pink jewel. That scream of pain she'd always let out, as if something from inside was tearing her apart; barely able to move her body as she was slowly losing control of it...

And Sayaka's own descent into madness was always so slow... Towards the end, she always relied on disconnecting the link from her soul gem to her body to remove the pain; if she kept her body disconnected, she would feel nothing when the link finally broke...

That unlocks even more questions that Homura definitely has no answers to.

Why hadn't she turned into a witch even though her soul gem was almost pitch black? Because she could still be saved...? Because she still held on...? There had been no pain and the link had remained...

And there were even more questions about their connections; would a fatal wound, such as decapitation break the connection as well? Is it limited to a specific area, like their chest, or is it just set to break when there's too much damage on the body to repair...? A fail safe to maximize energy collected in case the soul gem is broken before a magical girl can become a witch...?

Madoka wordlessly wraps her arms around her.

"What...what are you talking about?" Mami stares. "Are you saying we're able to stop from turning into witches if we prevent this link from breaking?" Mami demands.

Homura pauses as she shifts through her memories.

"...Yes." She closes her eyes. "But... in the end, our fate will remain the same...we will die."

"...How?" Mami asks her quietly.

"...You must avoid taking on too much damage on your body to prevent the link from automatically breaking... you can negate the process by preemptively destroying your soul gem...or," she thinks to the first timeline when Madoka had merely _died_ and that thought makes her heart hurt, "...you need to somehow die without regrets. The link is most likely connected to our emotions. I think... somehow it can detect when a person has finally given up to their despair. Once you reach the point of no return..."

That last bit makes Homura want to laugh; that meant that she was guaranteed to turn into a witch no matter what unless she killed herself and she has no doubt Mami is thinking the same.

Madoka hugs her tighter.

Mami clears her throat, obviously wanting to change the subject. "...You said before it didn't hurt as badly? Injuring your tail?"

Homura opens her eyes and nods once more. "Yes, in the previous..." she amends her words as they look at her curiously. "Before, I had my tail cut off..."

Madoka gasps and turns worried eyes toward her tail. "But... it... grew back...?"

"Yes. I just had to reshape it with my magic and it rebuilt itself. And before you ask, yes, I had to. Without it I felt...unbalanced...?" she shakes her head. "Regardless, I wasn't aware someone else's magic could do the same... But, the pain was definitely not as bad. And if I disconnected the link between my body and soul, I could barely feel it. It didn't work though, this time..."

Mami frowns slightly. "What did it feel like...?" she asks curiously.

Homura tentatively nudges Madoka with her head, noting the other girl hardly reacts before she presses her face into Madoka's neck.

Her voice is slightly muffled as she answers. "...Something I could do without feeling ever again..."

If that's what it felt like to become a witch, then...

"...Perhaps we should figure out a way to protect your tail and ears," Mami says after a moment.

Homura nods, closing her eyes.

Her physical manifestations are definitely stronger in this timeline than in the previous one. And that, would explain her stronger animal instincts. If she has to repeat another timeline, the link and connection will most likely increase and she's not sure how long it'll be until she completely loses her ties to her humanity.

Despair, eventual insanity, loss of humanity or suicide...

All she knows now is that the clock is definitely ticking down.

\\

As they continue their walk towards the closest convenience store, Sayaka finds herself disturbed by Kyouko's uncharacteristic silence. She figures it definitely has something to do with her injuring Homura's tail—no doubt she's feeling guilty with how that game had ended.

It reminds Sayaka that she really shouldn't put so much weight against first impressions; Kyouko is definitely turning out to be more than she appeared to be.

Sayaka sighs, placing her hands behind her head as she stares into the evening sky, taking note the sun is starting to set.

When had it gotten so late...?

She glances to Kyouko out of the corner of her eye before smiling a rueful smile.

"You know, I did something similar to the transfer student too."

Kyouko pauses before she continues her walk and turns to Sayaka. "Yeah?"

"When she first transformed," Sayaka smirks. "It surprised us, you know? I definitely thought her ears and tail were fake. So I kinda, sort of, pulled her tail."

Kyouko stares at her, shaking her head. "Wow. That's pretty bad..."

"W-What?" Sayaka sputters at her.

"I mean, mine was an accident. But you deliberately tried to pull her tail? Geez, don't you know how sensitive a cat's tail is?"

Sayaka frowns at her, immediately kicking herself for trying to make Kyouko feel better.

Kyouko grins. "I knew you'd be the biggest jerk around here."

Sayaka scoffs. "Pretty sure that's you, slasher."

"'Slasher?'" Kyouko raises her eyebrow at her.

Sayaka coughs awkwardly, looking away. "Temporary. I'll think of a better one later."

"Uh huh..." Kyouko stuffs her hands into her jacket pockets and the conversation tapers back into silence.

Sayaka looks around, knowing that there's still a good amount of distance until they reach the store. That was the problem with training in such a remote area but Homura obviously had a real reason for that. It makes her remember Kyuubey and his words and even though the thought of him makes her angry, she curiously summons her soul gem into her palm and watches as it shines. She hadn't even felt anything on her way to the abandoned lot earlier but the reaction tells her of a familiar being nearby.

Kyouko stares at her and shakes her head. "Nah, you remember what that guy said? A lot of the trails here lead to dead ends... This place is so old, there's traces of things no longer here."

Sayaka blinks at her. "Yeah? But... we've been patrolling around old places. There's always something there..." She moves her hand around and there's a glow at all directions.

Kyouko sighs, reminded of her inexperience. "This is one of the _oldest_ districts in the city. Pretty sure Mami usually sticks closer to downtown."

Sayaka thinks for a moment before realizing that Kyouko is right. They did go to older districts but they were always the ones neighboring populated areas or at least adjacent to those. Homura's choice for their training grounds is further out, towards the outskirts of the city where they haven't really visited much, if at all.

"Anyways, this place?" Kyouko continues as she gestures around. "There's no people here, really, so there's really no reason for there to be witches. They only come here to hide until they recover or whatever the hell witches do and then they're gone. But, because so many of them gather here... the traces of magic they leave kind of slowly builds... stacking on top of each other and those give off false positives." She pauses, trying to think of an example. "Like, you know haunted houses and stuff? Sometimes those are witches but mostly they're just their memories still lingering on. I had no idea it affected Kyuubey's sensors though. Good to know..."

Her voice is distant and Sayaka watches her, curious.

Kyouko grins suddenly. "My sister used to love cats."

The change in subject has Sayaka blinking but she nods slowly. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. But our mom was allergic so we couldn't really keep one. Me though, I prefer dogs. They're definitely more fun to play with and not as stand offish like Kitty Cat."

"I don't know," Sayaka comments. "She seems pretty affectionate to Madoka..."

They both smirk at this and Kyouko's face softens as she seems lost in her own memories. "We brought back a cat once—it had been abandoned right by our school and she saw it when we were coming home. It was this little grey thing, barely the size of my hand..." she withdraws her hand from her pocket and holds it out, almost like she's remembering holding it. "But it was sick. And we tried everything we could, but it wouldn't get better and we eventually told our dad. We thought he'd be mad that we had hid it, but all he did was take one look at it and went with us to the vet."

Sayaka waits for her to continue and watches as she closes her hand into a fist.

"It didn't survive. We had waited too long and by the time we got there, whatever infection it had had spread too far and it was already too late. My sister cried of course. We took him home and buried him in the backyard and my dad read him his rites, offering him a prayer so he could get to kitty heaven..."

Kyouko covers her eyes with her arm as she tilts her head upwards. "I don't even know why I suddenly remembered that."

She lies; she knows why.

Sayaka scratches her head awkwardly. "Your sister... does she no longer like cats?"

Kyouko pulls her arm away and Sayaka can see that her eyes are dry. "Nah. She's up there now, playing with all the cats she wants."

Sayaka sucks in a sharp breath.

"Come on, we should hurry and bring Kitty Cat her milk," Kyouko tells her as she takes the lead and they head towards an alleyway.

Sayaka blinks, wiping her eyes before running to catch up.

"Hey, wait up. I know you have no money so you should at least wait for me since I'm gonna pay for everything..."

\\

Homura knows they should be taking this opportunity to train some more or something but instead she finds herself falling asleep as Madoka holds her close. Her sleepless nights are catching up to her and she's just about to drift off when Mami interrupts their comfortable silence and she forces her eyes open to focus on her words.

"...I envy you, Kaname-san," Mami admits almost guiltily.

Madoka glances up at her in surprise. "Mami-san...?"

Mami closes her eyes. "To have someone so close to you... someone truly loyal who really cares about you..." she exhales a trembling breath. "I—" she freezes and opens her eyes to see Madoka holding her hand.

"You're not alone, Mami-san," Madoka tells her with a smile. "You have me and Homura-chan. Sayaka-chan. Kyouko-chan. You're our senpai, but more than that, you're our friend."

Mami blinks back the tears, a smile finding its way to her face. "Thank you, Kaname-san."

Homura is too sleepy and too content to let go of Madoka and instead places her tail on Mami's leg. It catches the blonde by surprise and she glances down before looking over to see lavender eyes peering at her, an offered nod, before Homura buries her face back into Madoka's neck.

"That tickles, Homura-chan," Madoka tells her but makes no effort to move.

Mami's jealousy lessens as Madoka continues to hold her hand and she reaches out, patting the smaller girl's hand before moving it and setting it back to rest on Homura's waist.

"Thank you Kaname-san. I'm alright now."

Madoka looks at her, glances down to Homura and suddenly grins. "Do you want to borrow Homura-chan for a bit?"

The girl in question stiffens before holding onto Madoka tighter.

Mami smiles at this. "I don't think she likes that idea very much. Cats are very particular, after all."

Though Madoka can't see her face, Homura's flat ears tell her that she's pouting and she reaches up to scratch her ears. "I was just kidding, Homura-chan. You're nice and warm so I don't want to let you go yet."

Mami concentrates, pulling back her magical barrier and feels the chill in the air. "The evenings and nights are still cool in spring," she agrees as she sets back up her barrier. "It's starting to get dark as well. After Miki-san and Sakura-san return, we should start our patrols soon..."

Madoka nods, snuggling close to Homura. "I should've worn a thicker sweater. I guess I never really notice since our school jackets are pretty warm..."

Just as Homura is about to offer Madoka her own jacket, her ears perk and she sits up, pulling away much to the smaller girl's disappointment. They are starting to recognize her mannerisms though and Mami concentrates harder before finally feeling two signatures approaching. They turn to the entrance and wait and Madoka deliberately pulls Homura close once more. It takes a few minutes until Sayaka and Kyouko wander back in, plastic bags in hand.

"Yo!" Sayaka holds out a hand to them when they're finally close enough.

"Welcome back you two," Mami tells them.

Kyouko nods, looking at her before quietly taking a seat besides her. Sayaka completes their uneven circle and they place their bags into the middle.

"Grabbed some onigiri and half-off bentous too," Sayaka says as she starts pulling food from the bags. "I guess just take whatever you'd like?"

Homura immediately tries to reach for the milk but Madoka keeps her arms around her waist, moving with her as she pulls away.

"Madoka...?"

"Hmm...?" she closes her eyes.

"T-The..." Homura leans forward as Madoka continues to hold her. "Madoka...?" Her ears flatten as she glances towards the stack of milk boxes that Sayaka has deliberately placed out of her reach. "M-Madoka...?"

Pink eyes open and she can see Mami staring at them in amusement while Sayaka and Kyouko fight over a bentou.

"What's wrong, Homura-chan?" she asks her, smiling lightly.

"...milk...?" her voice is soft, unsure, and Madoka buries her face in Homura's shoulder, hiding her grin.

"What about it, Homura-chan?" She feels Homura move again, no doubt trying to reach for the milk without pulling away from Madoka.

"M-Madoka...?"

"I don't want any, Homura-chan. You can have them all," she tells her, trying her hardest not to laugh.

She hears a soft whine from Homura's throat and finally she lets go, giggling softly.

"Didn't think Pinkie would be such a tease," Kyouko comments as she takes a bite of her rice, the clear winner of the bentou.

Sayaka chokes on her tea and Madoka blushes.

Homura ignores them all, quickly hoarding all the milk for hersel**f**.

* * *

**AN: **There is it! Homura getting hurt! But, more explanations on magic and things and ugh, Kyuubey. Didn't think he'd be gone, did you? Sunday is a very long day...

more character development(?), strengthening bonds(?). etc. ? I hope things made sense since I had to make up so many things. Ugh. Had a lot of problems with this chapter which is why it's up so late.

Let's see...

As always, thanks for reading/reviewing.

Passerby-A: You called it ! Homura becoming more feral but she is still quite very human at this point. It's when she gets more emotional that things start getting a bit hazy. Hope the chapter helped explain some of that and if not I failed miserably. Madoka kissing her soul gem was one of my favourite parts to write so I'm glad it had such an impact even though it was such a short sentence. Crunchy meat = the bones that crunch while cats eat small animals like birds and mice... I should one day 'translate' the conversations between Amy and Homura, though sometimes I have no idea what they're saying either.

Psykoakuma: Cat Homura is pretty funny and the mouse part made me laugh too. And there's no way I'd keep Madoka and Homura apart! I don't think Homura would be able to win though with their group exercises... she can't predict what they're going to do since she has never really done any of these exercises with them and she's so paranoid and overly critical about everything. As for the other review you wrote for 10 steps, thanks for reading and noticing my profile. They're simple but I like my custom artwork :)

shrimp puppy: Yes. The previous timeline is where Homura's animal manifestations originated from. If you check out chapter 2, when Homura first runs into Mami, she takes note that Mami has no ears and no tail.

mimo & cjmsone9: thank you for your reviews!

Sometimes I will get lazy and not reply to you people, so I apologize for that. Anyways, hope this story is still interesting... *wants to fast forward to the ending already* ugh.


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